Stay the Night
by TimberWolfie
Summary: Grace had never really been lucky in love, but that seemed to change when she met the married leader of the Omaticaya clan. Eytukan had reserved himself to life without love, until he met the science-orientated Avatar. Will love conquer or crush all?
1. The Last Word

**Author's note: So, here's my new fan fiction! Just a new couple, I don't think anyone has used these two. I'll try and keep it short, since I want to finish Bumps In The Road and start on the sequel, Heartbeat. This is just sort of a fun fan fiction to get my mind off the other ones.**

**Genre: Romance/Drama/Comedy/Friendship**

**Summary: Grace had never really been lucky in love, but that seemed to change when she met the married leader of the Omaticaya clan. Eytukan had reserved himself to life without love, until he met the science-orientated Avatar. Will love conquer or crush all?**

**Rated M for coarse language, sexual references and sex scenes (not really; calm down!)**

**Chapter One | The Last Word**

' **Eytukan resisted the urge to smile. Grace hadn't changed at all. "**_**Is it such a crime that I came to see you**_**?"**

"_**After what happened, I'm surprised you'd want to**_**." '**

The journey of life can be a brilliant one, a breathtaking trail of endless possibilities. But when you lose the people you were travelling with, the road can become unbearable.

Over the years, Grace had become accustomed to losing the people she loved. They would always come into her life for a short while, but would disappear afterwards. She had lost her family, her loved ones; she couldn't deal with losing any more people. That was why she steeled herself, and wouldn't let anyone in.

"Grace?" A voice drifted to Grace's ear drums, causing her to tear her eyes away from the photo in her hand. She looked down, and found herself staring into affectionate brown eyes. "Are you busy?"

Grace folded the picture, gently folding along the worn creases, and tucked it into her shirt pocket. She resisted a heavy sigh of sadness as she did, before turning to the one she was meant to babysit. "Yes, Jake?" She asked, trying not to let her voice show her annoyance. She didn't have a lot of patience these days, but she tried to be nice to Jake. She was hoping that if he could get into the clan, perhaps she and Norm could as well.

The human form of Jake gave her a sheepish sort of grin. "I have some news for you," he announced.

Grace looked at him. "Oh?" She asked, trying not to let hope flare in her heart.

Jake smiled. "Pack your bags. Mo'at and everyone would like you back home."

**· · ·**

Grace remembered how strange that sounded. '_Mo'at and everyone would like you back home_.' _Mo'at._ It was as if the _Tsahik _knew that Grace treated the Omaticaya as family, as if she knew the Avatar wanted to come back. _Come home._

But if Mo'at had any idea, she didn't think that she would want Grace 'home' so quickly.

The blue lids of Grace's Avatar flickered open, revealing eyes the colour of liquid gold. In her eyes reflected a troubled expression as she readjusted to her Avatar form. She sat up from the hammock she was in within the Avatar compound, gently stretching her arms and legs. She tapped each of her fingers to each other, testing it all. A hint of a smile flickered across her face, and then she got to her feet.

It took Grace about an hour to reach the clan, since her memory of the mental map was a little fuzzy. When she did reach it, she didn't know how to actually 'reintroduce' herself. Was she meant to just come and say hello, or stay to the sidelines? Or wait till someone noticed her?

She wasn't given a chance to make a choice as she was spotted, a familiar American male voice tinged with an Australian accent calling, "Grace!" Jake and Neytiri came over to her then, and Grace gave them a bit of a smile. "You made it." Jake smiled at her.

"Of course I did," she said with a sly smirk now. "Did you ever doubt I wouldn't come?" Grace's smile faded as she turned to the princess Neytiri. The way the three were positioned was in the formation of a triangle – Grace at the top tip, Jake and Neytiri on the other two points, all separated. The space between Jake and Neytiri was a little smaller than the gap between Grace and her however. Grace longed to go and give her a hug, and say she was sorry for everything, but she didn't function like that. Nor did Neytiri.

"Grace," Neytiri said, gently giving her the classic Na'vi 'I see you'. That was more than Grace could have hoped for. She smiled a little and did the same. Just as she did that, she heard a joyful chorus of, "Grace!"

Grace turned around and a true smile lighted her face. "_Hello, children. Look how big you are! You are so pretty_," she spoke in their native tongue. "How much do you remember of English?" She asked them, falling back on reliable English.

One young girl hesitated and then said, "A little. Are you teach us again?"

Grace smiled at her broken English. The young girl was doing well to remember even that much after the months that Grace had been away from the clan. "Well, that is up to Eytukan." _Eytukan. _ Grace put on a brave face as she said that, not wanting anyone to pick up on the way her voice wavered ever so slightly.

"I believe that was the reason he bought you back, Grace," came the voice of Neytiri, her English coming through with a strong Na'vi accent. Grace couldn't help but feel her heart fall just a little, but that sounded like Eytukan. Besides, no one knew about the 'deal' between her and the leader, and what had happened between them. "Very true," she chuckled slightly. She stood up to her full Avatar height then, just below ten feet tall. "_Come along, children_." The children looked at each other and then followed her with glee, chasing her tail as she walked.

Jake looked at Neytiri. "Do you think we should help her?" He asked, watching how the children were almost tackling Grace. They'd grown since the last time she had seen them, and had definitely grown a lot bolder.

Neytiri bit her lip to suppress a laugh and a smile. "No. Come on," she said, now letting herself give a laugh as she took his hand in her own and tugged him in the opposite direction.

**· · ·**

"So, do you remember how to count?" Grace asked the children when they reached the field. She did not want to take them back to the school. It was in dire need of repair, and she didn't want to subject the children to seeing bullet holes through the blackboard.

One girl in the front row put her hand up, as Grace had taught them to do. "Go ahead."

The girl smiled and then confidently counted off. "One, two, three, 'fou', five..." She got all the way up to twenty with little error.

Grace beamed at her. "Very good! But, remember, it's 'four', not 'fou'." Her face was feeling stretchy after all this smiling. She hadn't been in this good a mood for a long time.

At that moment, one of the older, less interested children – Tsyal, who was gazing out into the field dreamily – saw someone across the clearing. "_Guys, it's Eytukan_!" he said with delight. All the children turned to see their leader coming towards them.

Grace's hands jittered a little and she folded them behind her back, but, also, her brow creased in a frown. "Uh, class dismissed," she quickly said.

"But ma'am," the first girl began, turning back to Grace, "We have not done science." Grace always made them do science, and the children suffered through trying to understand her warped view of the world. For example, how was Eywa not within the Tree of Souls? It didn't make sense. For Grace though, science fell in the same category as breathing, so the children tried to take it in stride.

Grace paused. "Well then... be grateful I'm not giving you any!" She smiled. The children decided to take advantage of this, and jumped up before she could change her mind. They bowed to Eytukan and muttered something in Na'vi to him before running off.

Grace swallowed and turned away from Eytukan, something very daring to do. Eytukan looked at her. "_Strange, how the woman who looked at me so boldly twelve years ago cannot bear to do it now_," Eytukan's melodic voice came to her.

The scientist gave a heavy sigh and turned to Eytukan. "_I see you_." she said gently.

Eytukan ignored her attempts at formality. Grace should have known that she didn't have to be so formal around him. He felt a pang of sadness as he looked at her. He wondered how she had been doing over the past few months. Judging by the way she was acting, she hadn't been going well. "_You look... good._"

"_As do you._" Grace replied politely. Eytukan paused. 'This is your fault. It's your fault she's being so cautious.'

Grace scrambled for words to say to bridge the gap between them. She had always thought that, when – if – she ever came back, Eytukan would have been more giving. Dreams can take the imagination to places that can never exist, though. "_So_," she began. Screw it. She got straight to the point. "_What exactly are you doing here_?"

Eytukan resisted the urge to smile. Grace hadn't changed at all. "_Is it such a crime that I came to see you_?"

"_After what happened, I'm surprised you'd want to_."

Eytukan stiffened, all hints of a smile disappearing. So Grace was still upset. Who could blame her? That scrap of hope that Eytukan had, that she might still be his, crumpled. "_You know I had no choice_."

"_I know. But it still hurt," _Grace almost snapped. She paused, composing herself, before continuing. "_It wasn't my fault. But you refused to believe that. I couldn't protect them, and you still seem to see me as the person who actually fired the gun!_" Grace wasn't thinking rationally, but she hadn't been for a while.

Eyktan suppressed a growl. He sighed and closed his eyes. "Grace... Look at me," he said. Grace blinked spastically. He had just spoken English... He never spoke English. Not to anyone. He had never learnt it as far as Grace knew. Eytukan seemed to struggle for words. It seemed so... normal. Eytukan always knew what to say – it was why he was such a strong leader, and everyone looked up to him. But not today. "_I had no choice. I didn't want to push you away. But I couldn't just let one human stay, and the others be banned."_

Grace hated the fact that he was right. Eytukan was a wise leader, and she hadn't yet seen him turn a foot wrong. Well, at least that was her opinion. She fought for an argument to counterattack the last one. Despite missing him all this time, she was pissed at him as well. She was at war with herself between kissing and making up with him, or push the argument further. She chose the latter. "_Haven't I proved I am different from the rest?_"

That stopped Eytukan short. Yes, she had. She had never shown any hostility to them, but at the same time she hadn't protected his significant other. "_If that is the case, why have you continually refused my offers to be part of this clan?"_

A deeper frown came on Grace's features. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She gave a sigh, defeated. She started to walk away from Eytukan. She just couldn't deal with this right now. As she walked a few feet out into the field, she stopped, and gently turned her head over her shoulder slightly to look at him out of the corner of her eye. "_You know perfectly well of the reason," _was all she said as she walked away.


	2. Oh, You're Back  Get Out

**Chapter Two | Oh, You're Back. Get Out.**

' **Grace bit the inside of her cheek slightly, the blood draining out of her face slightly. "**_**You talk as if I hold no sadness over this**_**. **_**Sylwanin was like a daughter to me**_**."**

"_**And yet you let her die like a dog!**_**" Tsu'tey snarled. '**

Eytukan watched as his love walked off. He could hardly blame her for being so hostile. He had pushed her away, after all the events. But how could he not? He had felt terrible when she left him, like a piece of his heart had gone with her. He had banished her, at a time when they needed each other most. Of course she would harbour at least a little resentment.

**· · ·**

"What's with the frown, Grace?" Jake asked as he caught up to his 'frenemy'. "Are you okay?"

Grave sighed. No, she most definitely was not okay. The person she cared about most in the world was right there, and yet she couldn't reach him. She turned her head to properly look at him, and frowned just a little. "Where's Neytiri?" As far as she could tell, those two these days were inseparable. Or, perhaps, Jake was the one glued to Neytiri, and Neytiri was just grinning and bearing it.

Jake looked back at Grace. It was a little strange to see her in her blue form, but Jake preferred her that way. He had noticed how she seemed much more at ease in this body, than her classic human one. It was nice to not have her staring down at him as well, and breathing down his neck whenever he was out of the link. However, today, she seemed even more moody than she was in her normal form, which was strange. "She went to deal with something. I'll be seeing her at dinner. But you didn't answer my question." When Grace continued to ignore him, he let it go. He paused for a moment, thinking of something to stop the awkward silence. "Hey, if you want to come and sit with us," he began, knowing that Grace might be alone at dinner.

Grace was hesitant to take up his offer. "I'm not sure if Neytiri would like that," she replied stiffly, averting her eyes from him. Jake quickly took that as the cue for him to be quiet. He was burning with curiosity about what happened to Neytiri and this 'Sylwanin', but Neytiri did not want to enlighten him, and for that matter, neither did Grace.

Grace joined the rest of the clan with Jake, and tried to ignore the murmurs of surprise at her presence. Jake, apparently sensing her discomfort, murmured, "Ignore them. They'll get used to you again." Grace resisted the temptation to tell him to shut up. She knew he was only trying to help. Unfortunately for Jake, he appeared to generally be in Grace's crosshairs and could do no right, apart from when he was accepted into the clan. Grace felt terrible for basically using him to get back in herself.

Back to Eytukan. But yet, not back to him at the same time.

Jake led Grace over to where Neytiri was. She looked up as they came, and seemed rather astounded as Grace came to sit with them. "Hello, Grace," she said, giving her a polite smile. She tried not to blame Grace like the rest of the clan. She loved Grace like a mother, and that would never change, but she was still distressed over the whole ordeal of Sylwanin.

Grace smiled at the young Na'vi. "Hello," she said in reply, coming to sit cross-legged beside her.

"Where did you go?" Jake asked Neytiri softly.

Neytiri shook her head at him quietly. She then took pity on him, knowing he simply wanted to help, and just said, "Tsu'tey." That answered Jake's question all together.

"I'm sorry," Jake told her gently. Grace nodded in agreement, and just as she did, she heard a sneer from someone behind them, "Well, look who it is. 'The Scientist'."

Jake frowned. "Speak of the devil," he murmured with a slight growl. "And I mean that."

Neytiri growled at her fiancé, Tsu'tey. She turned to Grace and gently said, "Ignore him." As if to prove her point, she continued to look straight ahead and not turn around, not wanting to deal with him.

"Ignore me? I think that would be difficult," Tsu'tey growled softly, coming right over to Grace. "What are you doing here?"

Neytiri felt her defences snap on. Though she was still somewhat torn over liking and not-liking Grace, she never hesitated to pick a fight with Tsu'tey. "_Leave her alone, moron_."

Tsu'tey gave a growl. "_Hush, child!_" he said to Neytiri, whose ears flew back at his taunt. He turned to Grace, hell's fires blazing in his eyes. His hatred of her was not irrational. She hadn't protected Sylwanin, the one he had loved. He would not break bread with someone he deemed a _murderer._

Grace gently shook her head at Neytiri; she could fight her own battles. "_Tsu'tey, it was an accident." _she said, trying to reason with him."_I tried to protect them._"

"_Well, you did a great job. Congratulations! Thanks to you, Sylwanin is dead."_

Grace bit the inside of her cheek slightly, the blood draining out of her face slightly. "_You talk as if I hold no sadness over this_. _Sylwanin was like a daughter to me_."

"_And yet you let her die like a dog!_" Tsu'tey snarled, taking a few steps towards Grace. His demeanour was threatening, and Grace was no fighter. She wanted to stand her ground, but she had no problem thinking Tsu'tey wouldn't hesitate snapping her neck.

Jake jumped up and as did Neytiri, but they didn't need to, for Grace found safety in Eytukan's arms. Well, not entirely – she merely backed into him, and it was like backing into a brick wall, he was so sturdy. Grace gasped as she knocked into him, and she began to move away, but Eytukan placed his hands on her shoulders, something very daring to do. Tsu'tey frowned at Eytukan's protective ways of her. Eytukan's eyes sent daggers at his strongest warrior and soon-to-be son-in-law. "_What is going on here?_"

Tsu'tey backed off of Grace. He knew his place. "_Nothing_," he replied simply.

Eytukan's brow furrowed and he let go of Grace, gently pushing her to Neytiri and Jake. Grace knew he did that just to get her out of the way of the threat, not to be rude. "_Grace is a guest. And you will treat her with respect_." Tsu'tey cast a dirty glance at Grace as if to say, 'This is not over'. He didn't understand why Eytukan was so protective of her. But if she had the leader's respect, he knew he had to be polite. Tsu'tey gave a nod of a non-genuine apology to her, a swift bow to Eytukan and then let them be.

After that, Eytukan merely left. The drama was over – he was no longer needed. Grace watched him leave before going to sit beside Jake and Neytiri. She didn't realise she was trembling until Neytiri rubbed her shoulders. "Are you alright?" She asked her friend. Stupid question – how was she alright? Tsu'tey had just made it clear that she was going to suffer when she was not under Eytukan's watchful gaze, and with the way she had treated him that morning, she could say goodbye to that protection.

Once more, Grace lied. "Yes," she said, turning to Neytiri. "I'm fine." She watched as Eytukan went to sit beside his mate. Her heart clenched, and seemed to turn in on itself as Mo'at smiled at him. The way she used to smile at him. Grace watched them for a moment longer, and knew she should have turned away earlier, especially when Mo'at and Eytukan looked directly at her. She quickly looked down, feeling rude.

Mo'at watched as Grace realised she had been caught spying. She took her eyes off her, and was about to say something to her mate when she realised he was still staring at her. Mo'at looked at his lingering gaze on her, and was jolted back into life when Eytukan pulled his gaze to her and said, "_It's nice to have Grace back_."

Mo'at's topaz eyes quickly flickered over to her mate's. She didn't look directly at him, but now focused on a spot below his eyes. "_I suppose_," she murmured.

"_Sarcasm duly noted._"

Mo'at gave a sigh and only now looked into the eyes she loved. "_I just can't talk to her. I can barely be in the same area as her. Not after what she did._"

Eytkan looked back at his mate, his friend – nothing more. If it showed in his eyes, Mo'at never picked up on it. Eytukan had come to see his and Mo'at's relationship as more of a business arrangement, as would Neytiri and Tsu'tey's be. It worked, but it was not the recipe for happiness. He pushed the thought out of his mind before he did or said something irrational. "_You know as well as I do that she couldn't protect them,_" he calmly said to Mo'at.

"_She should have tried!_" Mo'at snapped at Eytukan, showing her canine teeth. Eytukan's brow furrowed slightly at her reaction, and Mo'at bowed her head, knowing her place. "_She was your daughter too... why do you treat Grace like she's the innocent one?_"

Of course, Eytukan made no reply. He just mumbled an excuse and steered the conversation in another direction.


	3. Come Back To Me

**Chapter Three | Come Back To Me**

' **She gently moved aside the parchment scrolls and found a photo.**

**Of her in front of the school.**

**She picked it up, along with the scrolls and came back up. "**_**Why do you have this?**_**"**

**Eytukan sighed and looked at Grace. Caught. "**_**I like to look at it from time to time. I did. To remind me of what I had lost**_**," he told her, gently brushing a strand of stray hair away from her face. '**

Despite the fact that Grace returned to her human body for sleep that night, she made sure her Avatar slept with a knife under her pillow out of fear of Tsu'tey, not that it would do much good – Tsu'tey could probably come anyway and slit its throat. She was glad to find when she connected that this was not the case. When she slipped out of her hammock, she headed over to find Eytukan. He had, after all, saved her from what would most likely be a large amount of stitches. When the rest of the clan was bustling with activity the following morning, Grace headed up to Eytukan and Mo'at's quarters. A place she shouldn't have been going, but she had been to on more than one occasion.

As she climbed the spiral sort of staircase Hometree had, she bumped into the one other person besides Tsu'tey she had been avoiding. "Oh! Mo'at!" She exclaimed as they collided, causing Mo'at to drop the items she had been carrying. Scrolls of ancient scriptures littered the floor, which Grace hastily picked up. Mo'at merely watched her with shrewd eyes.

"Grace," she replied. She was not in the mood for the Avatar's antics. Not anymore. She remembered she and Grace used to be good friends, but now she saw her as the person who could have saved Sylwanin, and didn't.

Grace didn't comment on the look she saw in Mo'at's eyes as she handed back the parchments. It was a look of anger, of resentment. The Na'vi were a patient people, and Grace hadn't known them to despise anyone except the humans. Apparently, she was regarded as no better than them now. Her status in the clan had fallen dramatically.  
Grace let Mo'at walk past her without saying anything to her. She didn't know what to say. Nothing could repair the rift between them, she felt.

But perhaps she could mend one rift.

"Eytukan?" Grace asked as she came up to where he and Mo'at slept. And she did, a few times.

Eytukan's ears flickered as he heard Grace's melodic voice. "_Come in, Grace_," he replied back to her. He stood by a small sort of desk that stood in the middle of Mo'at and his section, covered with Na'vi hieroglyphics that were so outdated even he couldn't make sense of them. Their meanings had been lost years ago, as the stories died off and took the old language with them. He brought his eyes away from the carvings and looked at Grace. "_What are you doing here?_"  
Grace didn't look directly at Eytukan, not wanting to seem rude, or ruder than she had yesterday. She had to remember that he was still the leader. She focused her eyes on a spot below his before saying, "_I came to say thank you for not throwing me to Tsu'tey yesterday. And to - _" She trailed off, trying to form her thoughts into words. " – _apologise for my behaviour yesterday_." Grace didn't apologise to people. Eytukan had better feel honoured.

Eytukan looked at Grace in what could only be said as surprise. He hadn't been expecting this. He took a few steps towards her. "_You know I can't stay mad at you, Gracie._" Grace's ears flickered at the use of his endearment for her. _Gracie. _She only permitted Eytukan to call her that, and only when they were alone.

She now brought her eyes up to meet his, seeing affection for her in them. She smiled a little. "_You haven't called me that in a long time_."

Eytukan's eyes turned to laughing ones, and then he actually laughed. "_I haven't had the chance, now, have I?_" He took a few more steps towards her. "_So... does this also mean you forgive me?_"

Grace thought about that. She could hold a true grudge, if she really wanted to. She didn't know if she did now. "_I'm working on it._" Eytukan laughed a little more, which caused Grace to do the same.

She walked past Eytukan, looking around the room she hadn't been in for months; a year. Had it really been a year? Time could really fly. She looked over at the piles of parchments and the carved words into the table. She traced her fingers thoughtfully over it. "_Managed to figure out what all this means?_" She asked, turning back to look at him.

Eytukan shook his head. "_No,_" he admitted, coming over. "_If you want to try, be my guest_."

Grace looked over the table and picked up one of the parchment pieces. She gently unfurled it, letting it lie flat on the table. As she looked at it, her eyes seemed to glaze over and she felt a terrible headache coming on. She looked away. "_I get your point._"

Eytukan chuckled. Grace never heard him truly laugh when he was around anyone else. Grace smiled at him and then started to roll up the parchment gently once more, placing it back with the others. Unfortunately, as she did, a couple rolled onto the floor. Her coordination was really off today. "_Sorry_," she apologised, bending down to pick them up. As she did, her fingers brushed against something that didn't feel like it belonged there. It felt more like it was made of plastic rather than dried calfskin. She gently moved aside the parchment scrolls and found a photo.

Of her in front of the school.

She picked it up, along with the scrolls and came back up. She placed the scrolls down before showing the photo to Eytukan. "_Why do you have this?_"

Eytukan paused momentarily, his eyes taking in the image. It had been taken a few months after the school had been opened, when Grace had introduced the Na'vi to an object called a 'camera'. Neytiri had found this terribly intriguing, and had taken a photo of Grace posing in front of the school. Grace, who was not photogenic, tried to resist her efforts, but the young princess made her.

Eytukan sighed and looked at Grace. Caught. "_I like to look at it from time to time. I did. To remind me of what I had lost_," he told her, gently brushing a strand of stray hair away from her face. That movement made Grace feel like she was sixteen once more. "_But now that you're back, I don't really have to._" Eytukan gently placed his full hand on her cheek, looking deep into her eyes. "_I truly missed you Grace. You have to believe I didn't want to do what I did, but I had to._"

Grace's ears flickered as she processed everything Eytukan had just told her. She touched her breast pocket and then pulled out another photo. It was not as well preserved as Eytukan's one of her, with the crease lines making white streaks along the image. His gentle fingers took it from her and he smiled fondly as he remembered that day of the entire photo taking. "_I do now_," she told him, interrupting his train of thought. Grace came over close to Eytukan and, before he knew what she was doing, gently pressed a kiss to his cheek. Eytukan smiled and gently turned a little to catch her lips softly. Grace gasped and pulled away from him. "_Are you insane? Mo'at could walk in at any moment!_"

Eytukan looked at her, laughter in his eyes. "_That never seemed to worry you before_," he reminded her. Grace had to agree with that. They'd thrown caution to the wind before she had left, and had risked a lot.

Grace thought about that. "_Very true_," she chuckled. Eytukan smiled and then gently tilted her head back, letting his lips meet hers.

**· · ·**

A few moments later, Grace snuggled into Eytukan gently. She kissed his lips softly, gently pressing her forehead to his. They were really risking it, but what was life without a little risk? Grace smiled and nuzzled into Eytukan's neck gently. For now, they didn't worry about it.

They were just about to find out how dangerous this affair could get.


	4. Caught Blue Handed

**Author's note: Oh, guys! I don't deserve readers like you! Thanks so much for all your positive reviews – encourages me to continue it!**

Okay, apologies for the long winded chapter – it was not meant to be this long.

**Chapter Four | Caught Blue Handed**

' **Eytukan's eyes scanned the area, and brightened as he spotted someone sitting on a rock. He smiled and walked over to them. "**_**I got away from Mo'at. What do you want?**_**"**

**A small smirk danced upon the features of the other. "**_**To get you away from Mo'at**_**," Grace chuckled, coming over to kiss Eytukan in a passionate way. '**

Affairs never worked. Grace had learnt that when she was a child, when her parents had divorced due to one. They only caused heartache and a good dose of it; but she had learned that before that happened, an affair caused great happiness for the two involved. So, what was the big deal if they were careful? And they were very careful. At least, they thought they were.

Currently in her human form, Grace walked around the shed that was the base for her, Jake and Norm. Jake was sitting at the table, and she came over to him. "So how is clan life treating you?" She asked him, coming to sit beside him.

Jake smiled a little and looked at his 'frenemy'. Often, Jake thought that they were friends, but then Grace turned around and would say something that made him think otherwise. "I can't really complain. I just wish Neytiri's teaching method wasn't 'Do or Die'." he admitted. Grace chuckled at that. She couldn't blame Neytiri. She was surprised Jake was even still living with her as his mentor. Jake's smile went a little then. "Also, I get the feeling Eytukan doesn't like me."  
Grace smiled a little. "Ah, classic Eytukan," she said, a little too fondly. Jake arched an eyebrow. As far as he could tell, Grace wasn't truly fond of anyone. "Give him time. He's just not used to you yet."

"And how long did it take for him to be used to you?" Jake asked.  
Grace thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "Not quite sure; maybe a couple of months." she said to him simply. She quickly attempted to turn the conversation elsewhere. "Why don't you go and help Norm?" Jake opened his mouth to protest, but the look Grace gave him made him turn around and head over to the door.

After he left, Grace moved to put on another cup of coffee. Even though she was going to settle down to bed, and it would undoubtedly hype her up, she had conditioned herself over the years to have a cup of coffee before bed as well, from her days on Earth when she had many assignments to complete over the course of the night.

Out of the blue, she heard a faint knocking at the front door of the shack. Who the hell knocked here? Jake and Norm just came in with their key cards. Grace passed it off as a wild animal, until she heard it again, louder this time, also followed by a gruff voice, "Grace?"

Grace placed her currently empty coffee cup down with a frown and went over to open the door. "Quaritch?" She asked, her eyes widening in shock. The moment she opened the door, he pushed past her. "And do come in."

The military leader turned around the look at Grace. She hadn't seen him in quite a few months, but he hadn't changed at all. He still had that semi-crew cut, dyed a natural white with age, and that tell-tale scar along his cheek. She'd asked him multiple times what animal had given that to him, but he'd never replied. "What, no hello?" He asked her.

"Well, to be fair, you barged in here without saying hello to me," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. She ignored his attempts at a greeting and stared intently at him.

He looked back into her brown eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," Grace replied, her brow creasing slightly, "I'm just trying to ascertain why you are here."

Quaritch looked at her, laughter shining in his eyes. Not pure, however – Grace had never known him to outright laugh. "I just came to see that you were all right."

Grace had the audacity to give a laugh. She went over to the coffee pot to tend to it, and then poured it into her cup as she spoke. "Okay," she said, placing the coffee pot back on its stand and then turning around to see him. "Suppose I had a massive head injury and believed you. You're here. Now what the fuck do you want?" She ended that sentence with a bitter snarl.

All amusement disappeared from Quaritch's face, and he now scowled at her. "You ran away from RDA." Grace stiffened. "Without telling anyone. You just packed up your posse and left."

Grace tried to relax as she casually sipped at her cup. She was being a duck right now – calm on the outside, but paddling furiously underneath. Of course Quaritch would find out about her absence – RDA wasn't that large, and, honestly, that guy knew everything. "Of course I did." She replied with a little casual shrug. "You gave me no choice."

"Oh, what? Tension back there too much for you to handle?" He mocked. If Grace had been in her Avatar form right now, she would have shown her teeth and let her tail flick in anger, telling the responsible party for that anger to back the hell off.

Grace rolled her eyes. "You are living in a fool's paradise," she said, moving to sit down. "There is no tension between us, at least not the sort you're implying." She frowned deeply at him. She blamed him for most of the wrinkles she had acquired over twelve years; he was the one who made her frown the most. "You broke up with me. Remember?"

Quaritch was surprised she could remember that far. Then again, she was a woman – she remembered _everything _that far back, especially with romantic relationships. He took one of the chairs and turned it around so he was sitting backwards on it, his arms resting on the backrest. He frowned at her. "Only because you had become such a cynic."

"For crying out loud, take a look in the mirror!" She growled rather angrily. She shook her head. "That was twelve years ago. It is now considered water under the bridge."

"You say that, and yet when I bring it up, you get upset or angry." Quaritch enjoyed the way her resolve crumbled just a little; he had nailed her. "Why is that?"

Grace frowned. He sounded like a psychiatrist, and she did not want to be psychoanalysed. "All right. You've extended your welcome; get out," she snarled. Quaritch smiled triumphantly at her as she got up. He knew he had the edge over her. She just continued to frown at him until he left, shutting the door behind him.

Once outside, Quaritch looked to the west, to see Norm and Jake by the plants. Norm was preoccupied with the specimen, and trying not to contaminate the sample with his saliva as Grace had told him. Jake felt the prickling feeling that he was being watched, and he turned his eye to see Quaritch. Quaritch gave a jerk of his head, and Jake said to Norm, "Excuse me a moment." Norm merely waved him off, not looking at him, his eyes trained in on the oddly shaped leaves of the plant.

Jake wheeled himself over to Quaritch, moving over the uneven ground. "Yes sir?" He asked, remembering military etiquette.

Quaritch peered down at Jake. "Do you have it?" he asked simply. No explanation of what 'it' was – Jake knew anyway as he gave him a small silver drive, about the size of a one cent coin. "Good man. Now, you best go back before Grace and Norm realise you're with me. Remember, you play for my team – no one else's."

**· · ·**

The next evening, Mo'at found herself sitting on a stool in the royal quarters, sewing a garment to distract herself. Eytukan had been rather aloof lately, and she just couldn't work out why. He seemed a bit quieter towards her, and more open to others. Mo'at tried to act like she didn't mind, but she did – deeply so. She just couldn't for the life of her figure out what was going on.

As she allowed herself to contemplate deeper, Eytukan walked into their section. Mo'at noted that he didn't even say hello, and her ears drooped ever so slightly at this. The _olo'eyktan _turned to his mate and said, "_I'm going to go take a bath."_

Mo'at frowned slightly, more in curiosity than any other emotion. "_But you just got here." _she complained.

Eytukan smiled, coming over to her and pressing a kiss to her forehead. He hardly ever kissed her on the lips, less now than ever. This only fuelled Mo'at's worry. Most leaders of clans had a couple of mistresses on the side, but Eytukan had never been like that. That was something Mo'at could brag about to her girlfriends. But now she wasn't so sure.

"_I know_," Eytukan told her, resting his forehead against hers briefly. "_I'm sorry._" Mo'at questioned fleetingly about what exactly he was apologising for – for hardly ever being there for her now? Or for something else? "_I'll be back before you know it._" With that as his parting note, he left her to her stitching and walked downstairs. He left through the main section of Hometree, where he got bows and such from the members there, and he returned them with a smile and a nod of acknowledgment. The one problem with being the leader – of a Na'vi of any large clan for that matter - was that you could hardly be inconspicuous.

After a few moments of walking through the forest he knew well, he pushed aside a fern gently and came to a small pond with willow-like trees and a rushing waterfall. Eytukan's eyes scanned the area, and brightened as he spotted someone sitting on a rock. He smiled and walked over to them. "_I got away from Mo'at. What do you want?_"

A small smirk danced upon the features of the other. "_To get you away from Mo'at_," Grace chuckled, coming over to kiss Eytukan passionately.

**· · ·**

Neytiri was looking over herself, her hair dripping wet from the swim she had just taken with her new best friend. She frowned as she inspected herself, trying to figure out what was wrong.

Jake asked that question. "What's up?" He enquired, looking at her. She looked so beautiful during the night it physically hurt him to gaze at her. Thus, he looked away, pretending to be fascinated by an interesting plant that looked like a sort of bacteria, and lighted up when you brushed its surface.

Neytiri thought. "I feel like I forgot something," she told him, the frown staying upon her face. She gently touched her fingers to her hair; her eyes widened.

"What?" Jake asked, looking up at her now, so as not to be rude.

"My clip," she said, pointing to her queue which started at the base of her scalp and ran in a perfect plait all the way down to the start of her tail. She had left it on a rock so it didn't get damaged as she swam. She turned to Jake and gave him a dashing smile, batting her eyelashes. "Jake... Could you go and get it back for me?"

The eyelashes got him; Jake smiled a little. "All right. Where did you leave it?" He asked.

"By the pond where we were swimming."

Jake tried to remember the way they had taken, which was a little hard when the forest practically looked all the same to him. He walked back into the forest, tracing his fingers lightly over the interesting specimens of the plants, watching them light up as he did. He smiled in amusement and continued to walk. After a few minutes, his ears flickered as he heard the music of the tranquil waterfall, and he continued to walk in the direction he was headed. He continued to walk towards the pond, and the rock where he suspected Neytiri had left her clip.

However, it wasn't a clip upon the rock, but two people. If Jake had been a fainter, he could have easily keeled over just then.

There was Eytukan, with Grace, his arm wrapped around her as he made out with her. Jake blinked spastically, and Grace's eyes widened when she saw Jake standing there. She quickly pushed Eytukan away from her. Eytukan looked at her with interest as he took in her shocked expression, and turned his head to follow his gaze. A long silence ensued, as Jake tried to figure out how he could walk back in time and undo the past minute.

Finally, Grace broke the agonising silence. "I was just getting him to like you...?"


	5. When Jake Finds Out

**Chapter Five | When Jake Finds Out**

' "_**I want more than that**_**."**

**Eytukan exhaled slowly and gently let his hands go behind his neck to unclasp her five fingers. "**_**I'm sorry. I can't give that to you,**_**" he told her, starting to walk away. '**

For a long while, no one said anything, and they just stared blankly at one another, and Grace felt her heart rate skyrocket. Eytukan casually took his hand off Grace's sides, and Grace moved her body slightly away from his. Jake continued to stare at them, and then he focused more on Grace, his eyes accusing, demanding an explanation since he highly doubted Eytukan would step up to that challenge.

Grace cleared her throat, turning her topaz eyes to look at her 'friend'. "Hello, Jake," she said in a confident voice, but Jake could hear the panic within it. "W-what are you doing here?"

Jake was still shocked as he looked between them. He was too shocked to even remember what he was really doing here. He spoke without drawing in a breath. "I just came for something," he managed to utter.

"And that was?" Grace asked, trying to get rid of her mounting shock and annoyance – shock out of Jake discovering their dirty laundry, and annoyance that he hadn't just turned around and left. He could have not said anything, but then again, if he hadn't, he might have turned and snitched on them. Grace knew he was a jarhead, as she always mocked him – but she just didn't know how far that stupidity went. She shook that question off when Jake didn't reply and said, "Jake, you can't tell anyone about this!"  
Jake blinked spastically at the sudden topic change. He looked between them and pointed his finger at them. "So you two are - ?" He trailed off.

Grace slowly nodded. "Yes."

"And have you had - ?" Jake started to regret that question the moment it came out of his mouth. He really was not at all interested in Grace's sex life, but he just had to know.

Grace bit her lip. "Yes."

Jake grimaced. "And if I hadn't walked in here, would you have had - ?" It was like an inquisitive child asking about the facts of life – wanting to know, but at the same time terrified of the answer.

"Probab – no..." Grace trailed off, taking in Jake's traumatized expression. She sighed and took a few steps towards Jake. "Jake, please. You cannot tell anyone about this."

After a few painful moments, Jake nodded. "I won't," he said. He took a few steps back into the forest. "I best get back to Neytiri." Grace gave a curt nod of acknowledgement before Jake disappeared into the bioluminescent forest.

Eytukan gave a sigh. He hadn't understood a word of that, but he translated from Grace's relieved expression that Jake had agreed to keep mum. "_That was just too close._" He looked at Grace and kissed her softly. "_Come on._"

Grace turned her topaz eyes over to look at Eytukan. "'_Come on_'_?_" She echoed. "_Where are we going?_"

"_Back to the clan._"

Grace got caught up short when Eytukan said that. They had purposely come here to be alone, and though that had been ruined by Jake's presence, now they were isolated again. "_Why?_" She queried as Eytukan gently adjusted his clothing.

"_We can't risk it if Jake's found us. Who else could be around?_" Eytukan asked her. He took in her disappointed expression, and he gently brought her chin up to look at her.

Grace nodded. She hated this – sneaking around all the time. She glowered slightly at her answer. "_Eytukan, what's going on here?_"

Eytukan turned to look at his girlfriend. "_What do you mean?_" He asked with a dashing smile.

"_I see you every day, but yet I'm only with you alone for maybe an hour once in a while_," Grace told him, going over to wrap her arms around his neck gently. She looked deep into his eyes. Eytukan knew what was coming. He had already talked to her a while ago about this. "_I want more than that_."

Eytukan exhaled slowly and gently let his hands go behind his neck to unclasp her five fingers. "_I'm sorry. I can't give that to you,_" he told her, starting to walk away.

Grace frowned a little. Eytukan never walked away from anything, as far as she could tell. "_So, what then? We keep this little affair going forever?_" She didn't want to do that. Her family had been ripped apart by her father's dishonesty. While she was technically putting her foot in the door and doing the same, at least it would be honest. She despised liars, and she hated the fact that now she was one.

Eytukan glowered back at her. "_You knew that was the deal_. _We've been doing this for six years. Why are you upset now?_" He asked sternly. Grace was taken aback, but Eytukan failed to notice that as he continued, "_We can't do anything more._ _You hear?_"

Yes. She'd heard. Loud and clear. Grace stiffened and nodded before turning to walk away, and Eytukan's ears went down. His anger evaporated, and he felt guilty as she walked away. Something told him that she wouldn't be coming back.

**· · ·**

When Grace awoke in her human form, she stayed within the link for a few moments. She gave a weakened, shaky sigh, trying to erase the past half hour from her mind. The more she thought about it, however, the more it seemed to be ingrained in her memories.

She undid the link from the inside so the top opened. She sat up and placed her head on her knees. "Oh, God," she groaned to herself softly. She was in dire need of a cigarette right now, and a hot mug of coffee. She'd found that being with Eytukan had made her give up most of her vices. Now that she didn't have him as her nicotine patch, she guessed now was a time for weakness. She slipped out of the link chamber and went over to the small kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. After doing so, she leaned heavily against the counter, shaky breaths coming from her. She hadn't cried in a long time, not for months. What was this hold he had on her? Why did Eytukan change her emotions, her personality so much when she was with him? She knew the answer, but she refused to think it.

While the coffee boiled, she reached into her pocket and took out the folded piece of paper she had in it. She spread it out, gently trying to rub out the crease marks with it. She felt tears prickle in the back of her eyes as she stared at it. Eytukan was standing with her in front of the school, both of them smiling at one another. It was a harmless picture, if one didn't take in the way their eyes both looked directly into each other. Grace remembered how she had felt like she was a teenager again, and it was one of those 'did he or didn't he look at me' moments. Eytukan was staring at her with a demure smile, his eyes slightly dreamy, as were hers. Neytiri, who was so young at the time, had not picked up on this, and everyone else had been so busy to take a look at them. They had just been in their own little world.

As Grace focused on the picture, Jake quietly wheeled himself into the kitchen in his human form. When he had caught up with Neytiri, and she had asked what had taken him so long, he had mumbled an excuse that he had gotten lost. He felt so terrible of all the things he was keeping from her, and this just added to the list. "Yes, there are bulldozers coming to destroy your home. By the way, your father is sleeping with Grace - just thought you'd like to know."

Jake came right over to Grace. She was so focused in her own world of sadness and memories that she got such a start when Jake gave a dark laugh. She sighed. "Not in the mood, Jake," she said, hastily putting the photo in her pocket and then pushing past him.

Jake continued to laugh darkly before saying, "I love it." He frowned then, his voice changing to one of a calm rage as he turned to her. "You give me crap about my attraction to Neytiri and yet I find you're screwing around with Eytukan."

Grace clenched her fists, anger starting to rise. She turned on her heel to shift her body slightly to look at him, but not completely. "That's different."

"How? Because it's happening to you?" Jake growled slightly at her.

Grace turned fully around and growled at Jake. She was really trying to control her fury and misery. Together, they made a potent emotion. "Jake, I really don't have time for this," she said rather calmly, but Jake could hear the rising anger in her voice. She started to turn again.

Jake frowned as she started to walk away, and he wheeled up to her. "You accuse me of potentially ruining the clan's future with a harmless crush. What are you doing?" He asked. His eyes were condemning, and Grace knew he was not going to let this go that easily.

Grace sighed and gestured over to the small table they had in the kitchenette. "Sit down," she said. Jake raised an eyebrow at that, and Grace remembered that he wasn't standing in the first place. "You know what I mean. Just stay there." She gently pulled out a chair and sat down with him, him facing her. She leaned forward and placed her arms on her legs, her head down a little. She paused for a moment, getting her voice level, before saying, "Do you have any idea of the pain when you tell someone you love them, and they don't say it back?"

Jake's fury dimmed slightly at this, and his frown changed to a look of revelation. "You love him?" He asked. Grace bit her lip and then nodded slowly. "For how long?"

Grace shrugged a little, trying to bring strength back into her. "A while." she admitted. Jake's mind was reeling. First he gets told that his 'friend' is sleeping with a powerful male Na'vi, who was married. And now he finds out that she was in love with him. Jake was about to add something to this already complicated conversation when Norm came in. "Hey guys," he said with a smile. "I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted." His nostrils quivered slightly as the strong scent of coffee hit his nostrils. "Grace, if you're tired, you should just sleep – don't hype yourself up anymore."

Jake rolled his eyes at Norm. "You sound like her father," he chuckled slightly, but Grace didn't. She was too busy thinking about what Jake had said to her. He was right – she had been putting the clan at risk, when her main motto was to protect it. How could she do that?

Grace quickly got up out of her chair. "Well, I am off to bed," she announced. "Good night." She looked at Jake for a moment, and his gaze told her that they would be talking about this in the future.


	6. Old Flame

**Chapter Six | Old Flame**

"**Wow..." Was all she could say. Without warning then, Quaritch gently placed his hand behind her head and pulled her in. Before Grace knew what he was doing, Quaritch gently pressed his lips against hers. After he pulled away, Grace gave a shaky laugh. "What the hell was that...?"**

For the next few days, Grace decided to lie low in the clan. She had warred with herself on going and talking to Eytukan following their disagreement, trying to find out if what he said was true, or just in the heat of the moment. In the end, Grace took the path of the coward, and stayed away from him.

She felt like a fool. No one had ever caused her to back down like this. Not when Quaritch broke up with her she hadn't been so cowardly – even not then. She didn't care about Quaritch anymore. She had found out he was with another woman a few months ago, not that she cared. If anything, it had strengthened her determination on pulling her life together. But now she was not determined. She had lost the one person who meant the world to her, and due to that she had just thrown her hands up in surrender. And the whole world seemed to be against her as she continually saw romantic couples... everywhere. From the time she walked into the clan grounds in the morning, she would see teenage Na'vi couples meeting up, and when she got back to the shack in the evening, Norm was often there with Trudy. Grace could hardly take it anymore, and it really hit her when she came back from field research to find a pair of _nantang _nuzzling at her front door.

She gave a groan. "What is this, freaking Noah's Ark?" she exclaimed.

"Wow. Guess it is a small world," came a voice.

Grace stiffened at that. "Who's there?" She demanded to know. "I can't see you." Grace worried that that might be the point.

From behind a large fern, illuminated by the bioluminescent lights on its leaves, someone Grace had not really wanted to see appeared. A small smirk came upon Quaritch's features, making his wrinkles a little more pronounced. Grace noticed he had aged a lot in the short while since she had last seen him. "See me now?" He asked, coming over to her.

Yes, she had seen him. After getting over the initial shock, she rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here?" she sighed, not snarled. She just didn't have the energy to be angry at him presently. "I mean, besides lowering my property value?" She frowned a little.

Quaritch cast a glance over to the shack with some scepticism. "Yeah, you have a real mansion over here," he said before turning back to her. "I just came to see you. Is that such a crime?"

"Considering that it's you? Yes." Grace groaned. "Look, I'm tired. So whatever message you're delivering, make it quick."

Quaritch paused for a moment. "Mandy and I broke up," he announced.

Grace blinked. "So naturally you fly over here to get support from someone who doesn't really like you?" She asked. That was an understatement, but Quaritch would understand.

"Well, I figured you'd understand, considering you're in the same boat." Quaritch rolled his eyes at her confused expression. "What about your affair with the blue guy?"  
Grace opened her mouth to protest and then shut it just as quickly. "How the hell did you find out?" She growled, admitting defeat.

"I have my ways," Quaritch smirked at her.

Grace resisted the urge to punch him, not that that would do anything to him. He'd probably break her arm before it got anywhere anyway. "Come in. We'll talk," she growled. She had to make sure this little secret didn't get out.

**· · ·**

"So, can I ask what happened between you and her?" Grace asked as she came to sit with Quaritch at the table, a small shot of tequila in her hand. They were alone in the shack. Norm had most likely gone off somewhere with Trudy, and Jake was undoubtedly with Neytiri still, as to her, it was still early, and more training could be slotted in to their already hectic day. Once again, couples were everywhere.

Quaritch exhaled and looked at his cup before looking at his ex. "You can most certainly ask," he told her. "Telling you, however, is a different matter."

Grace smiled a little and gave a short laugh. She looked at him inquisitively. "Did you cheat?" She asked.

Quaritch smiled a little. "No."

"Did she cheat?"

"No."

Grace paused for a moment, for effect, before smirking. "You finally saw her without make-up?" She had to ask. In her imagination, Mandy looked like a plastic Barbie doll, with layers and layers of make-up. Of course, there would be no such thing, since she was a military woman – they never used cosmetics, as far as Grace could tell.

Quaritch gave her a 'You're-not-being-realistic' kind of look, but he was smiling. "Grace..." He warned playfully.

Grace chuckled and drank her tequila. "I'm sorry. I had to know." She sighed and looked at her now empty drink. "Well, these days anyone going through a break up has my sympathy."

Quaritch chortled a little himself. "That's right," he nodded. "The blue guy was a little tall for my taste but, you always had a thing for tall men."

Grace rolled her eyes. "You're not that tall," she said, before mumbling under her breath, "Short-ass."

Quaritch laughed and ruffled her auburn hair. "Very funny, Augustine."

"'Augustine'?" She echoed, placing her elbow on her hands to properly look at him. Something about that was not right. "You never call me by my last name."

"You call me by that."

"Of course I do. Everyone else does. I only called you Miles when we were together," Grace said. "That bridge is officially burnt."

Quaritch looked at her, a hint of a smirk appearing on his features. "Is yours with the blue guy?"

Grace got up to the plate to defend Eytukan. "He has a name," she growled playfully at Quaritch. That tequila had gone straight to her head. "It's Eytukan."

"Ah, but it doesn't have a ring like Miles does." Grace looked at Quaritch in a confused fashion, and he elaborated. "Grace, Eytukan. Grace, Miles. Hear the ring?" He asked with a chuckle, downing his drink.

Grace laughed. "Again with the fool's paradise. Besides, I think Mandy and Miles has more of a ring," she told him, busting his bubble.

After a couple of hours, with Jake and Norm not coming back, Quaritch and Grace found themselves practically finishing a whole bottle of tequila.

Quaritch picked up the almost finished bottle and started to pour more in Grace's glass. She quickly put her fingers over it. "No, no, no!" She exclaimed. "I am past my limit. I could very well go off and fly with the unicorns if I'm not careful."

Quaritch laughed at her excuse. "No! Come on, we have to finish this!"

"No! Leave it!" Grace laughed as well, her voice about an octave higher than usual.

Quaritch showed her the bottle, which had a little over two glasses of alcohol in it. "You finish this with me, and I'll tell you why Mandy and I broke up," he bargained with her.

Grace smiled a little and held out her glass with slightly shaky fingers. "Hit me then." Quaritch complied and measured out the shots for him and her.

After they had both finished it, Quaritch kept to his end of the deal. "Mandy was cleaning up and she found a picture I kept in my closet. A picture I didn't want her to see," he admitted, looking at Grace.

Grace looked at Quaritch. "What was it?" She probed gently.

If Quaritch wasn't such a strong guy, Grace could have sworn he would have been blushing. Well maybe he was from the heat. "Well, it was a picture of you." When Grace appeared confused, he continued, "I keep it with me. I like to look at it, from time to time."

Grace blinked, one eye's reflexes moving a little slower than the other. "Wow..." Was all she could say. Without warning then, Quaritch gently placed his hand behind her head and pulled her in. Before Grace knew what he was doing, Quaritch gently pressed his lips against hers. After he pulled away, Grace gave a shaky laugh. "What the hell was that...?"

"That was something I've been wanting to do for quite a long time." Quaritch smiled at her.

"I think you've had too much tequila. Tequila makes us happy!" Grace exclaimed.

Quaritch laughed. "Certainly does..."

Grace looked at Quaritch, half in amusement and half like he should be in a mental institution. "Oh, this is just you rebounding from Mandy!"

The military leader smirked at his old flame, his eyes slightly glazed. "And aren't you rebounding from Blue Guy?" Grace was about to argue that his name was Eytukan, but she figured the pronunciation of that would not come out right. Quaritch saw some of Grace's resolve disappear. "We're just two old friends who suddenly find themselves single. We'd... just be helping each other to feel... a little less lonely."

**· · ·**

The next morning, Jake got out of his link chamber. Though Grace gave him hell about it, at times he spent the night in the link so Neytiri wouldn't give him too much hell about being late. This time, however, he figured he should maybe eat something before he did anything else. He got out of his chamber, and helped himself into his wheelchair skilfully. He manoeuvred it away from the link area to the kitchen, where he found an empty bottle of tequila and two glasses. Closer inspection of the surroundings, and Jake's eyes drifted to the floor, where he found clothes leading to the bedroom area. He groaned. "I'm going to kill Norm," he growled slightly, picking up the clothes ready to throw at his roommate. He had already walked in on Trudy and Norm once – he figured he could do it again.

What he hadn't planned on was walking in on Grace and Quaritch in her bed.

"Oh my God..." was all Jake could say as he took it Grace's form around Quaritch.

Grace felt herself awoken from her drunken stupor as she heard a voice. She yawned and turned to find Jake staring at them. Her eyes widened slightly, but she was too hung-over to sit up and properly address the situation. "Oh. Jake. I thought you'd spend the night in your link chamber," she murmured.

Jake blinked spastically. "I-I just decided to get up," he said, not saying he needed food. All of his appetite was gone now, anyway. "And Quaritch was meant to drop off my USB..."

By this time, Quaritch was awake and rather alert. "Uh, it's in my pants." He surveyed their surroundings, with clothes littered all over the floor. "If you can find them, that is."

Jake continued to stare at them for a moment, made a face of utter disgust, and then just wheeled himself away. Grace gasped. "No - ! Jake, wait!" She exclaimed, beginning to go and run after him.

"Grace! Clothes!" Quaritch quickly reminded her. Grace just grabbed her lab coat and wrapped it around her before going after Jake. She placed her hands on his wheelchair and steered him around. "Jake, calm down!"

Jake shook his head at Grace. "You got over Eytukan rather quickly," he growled. "Good to know you're banging the clan leader as well as the military leader."

Grace sighed and started to push him towards the kitchen. "Come on. It's time for a tequila and a long talk. There is a good explanation for all this."

Jake resisted her efforts by placing his hands on the wheels. It burned his hands, but it worked. "No! I like to have a clear head when I'm telling someone off!" He growled, pushing away from her so he could look at her square in the eye. "What's this explanation then?"

Grace bit her lip slightly. "He broke up with his girlfriend. He came over for comfort."

Jake looked at Grace as if she had just sold all her worthy possessions to a cult in Guyana. "You slept with him the same night he broke up with his girlfriend?"

"I said I had a good explanation. I didn't say it was a great one."

Jake threw his hands up in exasperation. "Do you know how much this would kill Eytukan? How could you do this? Just what sort of a person are you? You claim you love someone and the moment a little disagreement happens, you turn around and sleep with someone else."

Grace grimaced at Jake's harsh words. They were all true. "It was an error in judgement," she admitted. "Jake, please don't be mad – "

"How about when you tear a clan apart? A family?" Jake growled. "Do I get to be mad then?" He asked, steering past her back to the link chambers, leaving her thinking about that. If Grace had been in her Avatar, her ears would have drooped low. Once Jake was gone, Quaritch came over to Grace, fully dressed. Grace sighed at him. "We should not have done what we did..."

Quaritch ran his hand through his hair. "I know, I know." He looked at her. "I got to tell you though. That was the best ever."

"Wasn't it, though? You've learned some new moves," Grace told him. "But... look. It can't happen again."

Quaritch frowned a little. "Why not? You can't tell me you can just walk away from all the chemistry we got going."

Grace smiled a little and kissed him softly. "I have to. We're fighting for different causes. And I swear, that if we continue this, one of us will end up murdering the other." She patted his shoulder, which was like patting a brick wall. "But thanks for last night. Really needed it!" She said before going off to have a shower.


	7. You're Really Not Good At This, Are You?

**So, looking back through my chat history on MSN with my best friend Jeff, I came across one where we were talking about alternative Avatar couples (don't ask unless you're dying with curiosity as to what we came up with). I thought I was the one who thought up Grace and Eytukan – history proves otherwise. So, credit to Jeff for creating this couple and thus letting me create this story which I hope you all still like!**

**Also, I have started a poll for this story on my profile. It asks if Tsu'tey should have a happy ending or not. I know what I want to do, but I'm curious as to what my readers think. So, please do go and vote!**

**Anyway, on with the story. This may start getting a little more sexual, but I'm trying to keep that as vague as possible. Enjoy!**

**Chapter Seven | You're Really Not Good At This, Are You?**

**Tsu'tey snarled softly. "Fine! Well maybe I will just make you walk into Eytukan's quarters and see the thing that I **_**know **_**that I know is actually the thing that I know that **_**you**_** know!" He said, getting up.**

**Jake jumped up and gasped. "You know!" He exclaimed.**

Grace hadn't heard from Eytukan in days. He avoided all contact with her, and she felt terrible. It was as if a dagger was piercing at her heart every time she saw him, and it went deeper whenever Mo'at was with him. She was also feeling horrendously guilty over what happened with Quaritch – it shouldn't have, she knew. She heard via Norm that he was back with Millie or whoever it was, so at least he was happy.

So why couldn't she go back to Eytukan? The bridges had been burnt between them, she knew. That was the way he certainly seemed to view things by his attitude.

After teaching the children one afternoon and coming back to her section (she was generally cut off from the clan with her own private hammock since she was an Avatar, not that she minded at all), she found a bouquet of Pandorian flowers waiting for her. Grace had to pause; the Na'vi never picked flowers. They never touched the forest unless it was called upon, for food, medicine or crafting something. This was a terribly human gesture. Grace frowned for a moment and came towards them, looking at what was attached to them – a note. She didn't get her hopes up too high as she picked it up.

_I'm sorry._

Unsigned, but this had Eytukan written all over it – literally. Grace knew his handwriting. The Na'vi did write, but generally only the hierarchy and the scholars did, as humans were back in the Renaissance period and beyond. A smile came to her face.

A few moments later, Eytukan came out of his section to find Grace waiting for him outside. She smiled at him. "_Thanks for the flowers._"

A smile came to Eytukan's face in turn, mirroring Grace's. "_You're welcome._" He looked back inside to his section; Mo'at was downstairs somewhere, so he looked back at Grace. "_Want to come in?_"

Grace obliged him by stepping inside. The room was starting to take on a patina of neglect, with the parchments still spread all over the desk in the middle of the round area. Then again, the shack which her human form called home wasn't much better, so she couldn't bug him about it. Mo'at probably already gave him hell for it. She turned to him. "_I was surprised you did something like that._"

"_Well, I had to get your attention somehow_," Eytukan joked, "_And clearly it worked._" He looked over at all the scriptures that had taken up residence upon the desk. "_That is the reason why it took me so long to get those to you. That and you seemed to be happy without me._" When Grace seemed apologetic for that, he smiled and came over to her, bringing his fingers up to brush a strand of hair from her face. Grace remembered how he had done that the first time when they were together, and how he now always did it. Thus, she responded the same way she always did; she blushed. Eytukan laughed. "_Good to know I can still make you blush._"

"_Oh, shut up." _Grace growled playfully, nudging him. It was good to know she could be so open around Eytukan – no one else was. Even Mo'at tread lightly when she was around him, and Grace could tell she held back a lot of things she wanted to say, by the way she bit her lip to discourage herself from speaking her mind.

"_Make me_." Eytukan challenged her, a smirk coming to his face. Grace chuckled and came over to kiss him; that ought to keep him quiet.

**· · ·**

While Eytukan made out with someone else, his trusting wife was downstairs, sewing. Mo'at hardly ever sewed these days, but it relaxed her, which was something she needed. The life of a leader was a stressful one, and you always needed at least an hour a day to yourself to unwind. Mo'at found that time was in the early evening, just as the children started to come back from school. She was sitting near where they usually had dinner, and where there currently wasn't a lot of activity since the meal was quite a few hours away.

As she reached down to pick up another spool of thread from the basket at her feet, she realised the one she had been planning on using was back in her room. She sighed, really not wanting to get up – she had been busy all day, and her legs hurt after all the standing she had done.

Luckily for her, someone passed by the area of where she was. "_Oh, Tsu'tey?_" She called. Tsu'tey stopped in his tracks, and gave a frown which Mo'at couldn't see from the back. He was not in the mood for helping out Mo'at. Then again, when was he in the mood to help _anyone _out these days?

He could hardly just continue walking, and pretend he hadn't heard her. She knew he had. Begrudgingly, he turned and walked back to where she was. "_Yes?_" He asked his soon-to-be mother-in-law.

Mo'at smiled politely at him. "_Could you please go into mine and Eytukan's quarters and fetch me the spool of thread I left on the table?_"

Tsu'tey forced a smile. "_Of course._" he replied, trying to eliminate the sarcasm out of his voice – you couldn't be rude to a leader, after all, and especially to your future mother. He turned on his heel and went back in the direction he had just come, heading down the passageway to it, the small lamps they had lighting his way.

As he came closer to Eytukan's quarters, his ears caught some odd sound that was eliminating the otherwise quietness of the hall. He pricked his ears, trying to catch the sound more. It sounded like... laughing. But not the sort of laugh you had after hearing a joke. This was sort of a seductive laugh.

Tsu'tey paused, a frown coming to his face. Mo'at was downstairs though. He stealthily crept towards the doorframe, the light coming from the room brightening the area slightly. He hesitated, and then peeked around the frame; he nearly died.

There was Eytukan, the leader's feathers on the floor. Grace's top was wide open; her human-styled shorts were undone, panties peeking out.

Tsu'tey felt the world spinning and he ducked back behind the pillar, hiding himself from their view, and them from his. He tried not to hyperventilate. This all made sense; this was why Eytukan seemed to be so protective of Grace, why he had grabbed her shoulders and pulled her close when he had tried to pick a fight with her. _Why he had pulled her close. _That was extremely close, and even Eytukan had never pulled Mo'at that close when she had been in any form of danger over the years. It was a terrible revelation, and Tsu'tey now truly wished he had never found it out.

He robotically moved back the way he had come, and went over to Mo'at saying, "_Sorry! I couldn't find it!_" He didn't want to find it. He was too freaked out, and frankly, he couldn't – and wouldn't – just casually drop in on _that _scene.

However, he did do something he didn't want to do – Tsu'tey headed towards the one person who might be able to help him understand this, who probably knew more than he did. This was not going to be fun.

Thankfully, Neytiri wasn't around, and Jake was alone in the lounge, reading something. It was strange not to see those two together, though it pleased Tsu'tey – Jake and Neytiri seemed to be getting a little too close to one another for his taste. Tsu'tey stiffened as he came into the lounge, and said, "Hello, Jakesully."

It was the Avatar's turn to stiffen. Of all people in the world, why did _he _have to come into the lounge? Jake would have preferred to face a pack of viperwolves than deal with him. He put the parchment down and looked at him. "Greetings, Tsu'tey." Jake had come to the lounge to escape from everyone. Neytiri had had to deal with something else, so she left him alone for a bit. He knew Grace and Eytukan were... well, together, so he had strayed away from that area.

Tsu'tey nodded at him. "Say, you do not mind doing something for me?" He asked.

Jake hesitated. He had learnt not to listen to Tsu'tey, but he had to remind himself that Tsu'tey was higher in the clan, and thus Jake had to listen. "Sure?"

"Could you go into Eytukan's quarters and retrieve the arrows he borrowed?" Tsu'tey casually asked, walking past Jake and over to the window, listening to his tone of voice rather than his expression. Tsu'tey found the tone of someone's voice, and with hearing like his, could let you learn much more about a situation; at first, anyway.

Jake paled a little, the blood draining out of his cyan coloured face. "N-now? You want me go over there now?" He highly doubted Eytukan would allow him into his quarters, even if Tsu'tey gave him permission. Hell, he was sure Tsu'tey wasn't even allowed there. Besides, he most certainly did _not _want to go in there at this point in time.

Tsu'tey nodded simply, as if they were agreeing about something as simple as the weather, not for Jake to 'break in' to Eytukan's area. "Yes." Tsu'tey simply replied, turning back to face him.

Jake's brow furrowed. Why couldn't Tsu'tey go and get them himself then? Jake knew he wasn't lazy – Tsu'tey was independent, and as much as Jake detested him, he admired him for that. So, if he could just go and get them himself, why was he pushing Jake to go, when he knew he wouldn't be allowed in there? "Do you know something?" Jake questioned.

Tsu'tey stiffened and he looked at Jake properly. "Do you know something?"

Jake knew it was in his best interest – and Grace and Eytukan's – to lie to Tsu'tey. It wasn't like he could pick up on it either, not having lied in his life, as far as Jake knew. The Na'vi didn't know how to lie; that made him feel even worse to lie, even if it was to Tsu'tey. He was already carrying a rather huge untruth as it was. "I might." So that was not an outright lie.

"I might know something too." Tsu'tey mimicked, but said it in such a way that it seemed he was showing off that he knew whatever Jake knew. Jake was highly sceptical of that and he looked away. Tsu'tey sat opposite him. Jake's brow furrowed at him and he shook his head, saying, "You don't know."

Tsu'tey snarled softly at the Avatar. "Fine! Well maybe I will just make you walk into Eytukan's quarters and see the thing that I_ know _that I know is actually the thing that I think that_ you _know!" He snarled, getting to his feet.

Jake jumped up and gasped. "You know!" He exclaimed.

Tsu'tey turned around, eyes wide with shock. "And you know!" he said, pointing at Jake. "Grace and Eytukan? Oh Eywa, this is unbelievable! How long have you known?"

"Too long," Jake told him, and brushed that comment off. They had more important things to think about. "Look, it doesn't matter! Now that we know, we can just tell them we know – all this will be over!"

Tsu'tey scoffed. "Yeah," he said, sounding very American as he did. Jake wondered if he and Grace were rubbing off on him. "And we would tear the clan apart with it? Honestly, _dream walker_ – you do not think things through. Telling them would be the worst possible thing to do!"

Jake sighed. Unfortunately, he had to agree with Tsu'tey. This would destroy everything – Mo'at would undoubtedly leave Eytukan for that, and the clan would be in ruin with the Tsahìk leaving. But she was tied here – surely she wouldn't just scamper off? How could she leave her family behind? There were a million possibilities, but Jake decided to just let it go. "You're right," he actually agreed with Tsu'tey.

Tsu'tey was rather surprised. "You actually agreed with me."

Jake nodded. "Yes, I suppose I did."

Tsu'tey paused for a moment. An evil smirk came to his face. "Leave the clan then."

"No."

"_Damn_." Tsu'tey swore in Na'vi. Jake just laughed.


	8. Bree

**Chapter Eight | Bree**

"**Bree?" Grace questioned.**

**A small smile played on the lips of the Avatar, and she nodded. "Hi, Aunt Grace."**

Later that evening, Mo'at came up to her and her mate's quarters, finding him sleeping in the chair they had in the corner. A smile came to her face and she went over to kiss his forehead. She should have known better – hunters never slept deeply, and Eytukan these days was a particularly light sleeper. Eytukan's eyes flickered open and found himself staring into the eyes of his mate. "_Oh. Mo'at._" he smiled a little, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Mo'at smiled and pecked his lips, which Eytukan didn't respond to – his mouth was sealed. Mo'at decided to brush that off, as she so often did, but it was starting to get to a point that she couldn't. For now, she just did. "_Well, since you're awake, I have some news,_" she said, kissing the top of his head once more before moving away from him, heading over to the table with all the scriptures piled upon it. That got Eytukan's attention, as he sat up properly. "_My sister has taken ill. I will be going to visit her for a little while._" Mo'at said, as she traced her long, elegant, but aged fingers along the polished wood, feeling the imprints in it that told stories as old as time itself.

Eytukan nodded, feeling ever so slightly guilty as excitement flared in his heart at the prospect of her leaving. "_Oh? How long is a little while?_" Her mate questioned casually.

"_Perhaps a couple of weeks." _What Eytukan didn't know was that this was a test of him. Mo'at was listening, and she turned around to see his reaction to that – would it be happy, or sad reaction?

Eytukan looked back at his mate, and then came over to her. He patted her hand gently, which was on the table. "_Well, I will see you when you get back._" Eytukan gave her his signature smile, and picked up her hand to kiss it softly before leaving the room. Well, it could be marked as an in between reaction.

A frown came to Mo'at's features. "_Oh, she's fine, by the way! Thanks for asking!" _Mo'at snarled sarcastically after him, but she kept it quiet so he couldn't hear. She would never dare say something like that in his presence, but once in a while she found herself growling such things after him. Treasonous, for sure, but if he couldn't hear, it couldn't hurt him. At least that was her way of thinking.

After walking away from Mo'at, Eytukan headed up to where Grace slept. He found her there, lying on her stomach on her hammock, wielding a pen as a weapon in one hand. He cast his eyes down to where he saw a pile of assignments – Grace's enemies, as she so put it –, and had to give a chuckle. He kissed the top of her head. "_Someone call heaven, for I think they're missing an angel._"

It was such a corny line, but Grace found herself chuckling and turned to kiss his lips softly. "_You're sweet_." she purred, resting her forehead against his.

"_Only for you_." Eytukan smirked. Grace chuckled and turned back to the assignments she was marking. "_And I have some news._" This made Grace look back up at him. "_Mo'at is leaving the clan for a couple of weeks to visit her sister. So, you have me all to yourself._"

Grace smirked a little and kissed him softly. "_Mmm, sounds like fun_." Grace purred and traced her tongue along his lips softly.

Eytukan smiled as Grace gave him a French kiss, as she told him it was called. "_Well, I have some time now if you maybe want to..."_

As he trailed off, Grace caught his meaning. "_Ooh, I'd love to, but I have all these assignments to mark,_" she sighed. The children were starting to complain that she set so much homework, but she never marked them. Grace couldn't really blame them for being so annoyed at her, but honestly, they were getting a better styled education then they would back on Earth, in her opinion.

"_Oh, that's fine." _Eytukan said, teasing her softly by running his four fingers lithely along her back. "_I guess I'll just go take a bath on my own._"

Grace's ears flickered at that, and she cast her eyes down to the assignments. She looked at the pen thoughtfully, and then in a quick succession whisked it all over the different pages without so much as glancing at the name of the student who had done it. "_B, B, B, and B. Done!_" Well, maybe they would be better off learning back on Earth.

Eytukan laughed at Grace and kissed her cheek, looking at the assignments. He paused then and picked up a book that was nestled among the papers. It looked rather old, the pages yellow and the cover torn in places, as well as it had white creases that seemed to rub off slightly as Eytukan traced his finger along it. If he could read English, he would have read that the title said, 'Wuthering Heights'. It was a book that Neytiri absolutely adored (though Grace wondered if she actually truly understood it all), and since it was Grace's book, she kept it with her. The red pen had marked the ivory coloured cover, and he held it up for Grace to see. "_You marked your book._"

Grace looked at the book, and gave a casual shrug. "_It had some good ideas. Take off your clothes._"

Eytukan smiled and kissed Grace softly, running his hands along her sides gently. "_Not in here. Meet me by the river in five minutes._" Eytukan kissed her once more before leaving. Grace chuckled and marked for a couple more minutes, before heading down the stairs. It was rather busy down stairs, so she had to push past a lot of people. She wondered if Eytukan took a back way out of there, so he wouldn't have to deal with everyone talking to him. If he had gone this way, he would most likely still be around Hometree. Grace managed to slip past everyone and headed into the forest, heading over to where Eytukan waited for her, so they could be alone.

**· · ·**

The next day, Jake found himself hunting Neytiri; quite literally.

Neytiri lay in the grass on her stomach, bored. She found herself studying the wild flower that grew within the grass, tracing her elegant fingers that she had inherited from her mother over it. They were so soft, and so light at the touch that the flowers didn't bend nor snap off. She exhaled softly, her tail flicking around in an absent-minded manner. "_Three... two... one..._" She breathed in her native tongue to herself softly.

"Gotcha!" Came the battle cry of her new friend as he pretended to draw his bow and kill her. Neytiri rolled her eyes. Men and their war games, honestly.

"And by that time, your prey would run off." Neytiri chided him. She could hear his footsteps from practically a mile away. "It took you five minutes to track me."

Jake could hear how her voice was heavily laid with sarcasm. "Well, it was better than seven minutes yesterday."

Neytiri smiled a little. "You are breathing too hard – relax. You breathe too hard, it will alert the herd of whatever you are tracking."

"Can't I ever receive praise instead of a huge chastising?" Jake asked politely.

Neytiri chuckled and walked past him, her tail flicking him as she did. Jake shivered when she did that, and tried not to before she realised what an affect that had on him. "You will. Eventually." Neytiri cast her sunkissed eyes around, looking around her forest home. "I have an idea," she announced, turning on her heel to look at Jake. Jake snapped his eyes up to her own, before she realised where he had been looking. "You try again – and this time, no breathing." With that, Neytiri dashed off, leaving Jake breathless.

Jake shook his head after her and chuckled. "And if I die from suffocation, sure, that's just fine." He waited for a few moments before following her tracks, his eyes following the imprint of her delicate feet. They were barely there, as Neytiri had taught him how to walk like her – barely any mark was left when she ran. However, if one looked really close, there was the faintest outline of a footprint. Jake followed them, hoping to beat the pathetic record of five minutes. When he had been the 'prey', it had taken Neytiri under a minute to find him. He had brushed it off and said he hadn't had a chance to find a good hiding spot, and she had the upper hand with knowing the forest better – she had just laughed at his excuses and told him to try again.

The Avatar continued to follow her tracks, which led up back towards Hometree. Jake followed them eagerly, thinking he knew where she was. However, this was thwarted when he came to two separate tracks, each going in another direction. They were practically the same size and shape. Neytiri surely didn't have enough time to dash one way, then do a loop a come back? Besides, that would mean the footprints would be in one direction – not two. Jake frowned, and after a moment of debate, he took the prints that headed away from Hometree, and more towards the river. Neytiri always told him to trust his instincts, and he figured she wouldn't head back towards Hometree – too obvious. He continued to follow the tracks eagerly, instinct telling him he was headed the right way. He heard the rushing of the river after a few moments, and this spurred him on. He quickened his pace and soon found himself out of the forest, looking at the river, and Neytiri, who was lying on the bank.

Jake chuckled. "Foiled! And I daresay that was rather good – under two minutes," he said, breathless. Neytiri made no reply. "Neytiri?"

That wasn't Neytiri. Jake's brow furrowed, and he headed over to the Na'vi. She had the same hairstyle as Neytiri, who was wearing her hair down from her braids in waves today, so it natural Jake thought it was her. But this one didn't have her clothing – it had human clothing. Not to mention five fingers...

**· · ·**

"So what the hell do we do with her?" Tsu'tey asked Jake as he looked at the body he had dragged into the lounge. He was dreadfully curious as to how Jake pulled the unconscious Avatar up here without attracting attention, especially rousing Neytiri's curiosity about it.

Jake looked the girl over, flicking through his mental snapshots of all the Avatar drivers back at RDA – none matched her image. "I don't recognise her at all. She's not part of our team." That being said, they had a new ship arrive about two days ago – maybe she had been on it? Jake thought for a moment, and then ran his hands over the Avatar.

Tsu'tey made a face. "What are you doing?"

"Checking for tracking devices, and dog tags. Anything." Jake explained to his fickle minded ally. He most definitely was not feeling the girl up, as Tsu'tey had been thinking. He reached into the girl's pocket, and pulled out a small metal object.

Tsu'tey sighed, ignoring the object Jake pulled out – it didn't look helpful. "So what? We wait till she comes to and interrogate her?" Sounded like the most logical plan. It would be what Eytukan would do, wouldn't it? Where the hell was he anyway? Off with Grace somewhere, Tsu'tey didn't doubt. He came over to the Avatar's head. She was actually rather stunning, but he didn't remark on that. She was stunning enough to catch anyone's attention, but Tsu'tey was looking at the way her face was structured; the high cheekbones, the eyes. It all seemed familiar.

Tsu'tey was in his own little world as he looked at the young woman, trying to figure her out, so he was startled when Jake said, "Tsu'tey." The slightly younger Na'vi lifted his head and he came over to his unfortunately soon-to-be brother, and saw him showing him the metal object he had taken from the girl. Now that Tsu'tey looked closer, it looked like a smaller version of that human-made object Neytiri had been using that day at the school, the one that took all those pictures. What was it called? A camera, that was it. Jake was now showing what was on the memory card. Tsu'tey's eyes widened as he took in the image before him. He came closer to Jake to take a proper look. Jake flicked his thumb over the touch screen, looking at all the images. It was images of Grace and Eytukan.

Tsu'tey backed away and looked at the Avatar. "What was she doing?" He asked no one in particular. Besides, the one who could actually answer him was dead to the world.

Jake shook his head. "I wish I knew. Clearly spying on Grace and Eytukan, but what for? Her own personal amusement?" Unlikely; these images had a rough edge to them, and Jake was terribly curious – and afraid – as to who this girl had been working for. And honestly, if you had to spy on someone's sex life, why Eytukan's...?

Tsu'tey shook his head. "I know we said we wouldn't, but we have to tell them."  
Jake looked at Tsu'tey and nodded once, agreeing with him again. He seemed to do that a lot these days. "Yes. We do."

Meanwhile, Grace was walking up the quiet hallway with Eytukan. She was loving her alone time with him, without fear of Mo'at walking in on them. She kissed him softly. "_I'll see you tomorrow._"

Eytukan gave her a handsome smile. "_Likewise._" He kissed her lips and then kissed her cheek. "_You sleep well_." He was about to add something else when Jake came up to them. Grace and Eytukan sprang apart, and he looked at the newest addition to the clan. "_Good evening, Jake._" Jake knew basic Na'vi, so he would have understood that. If not, Neytiri was no teacher.

Jake bowed slightly in greeting. "_Hello._" he replied in Na'vi that wasn't as smooth as Eytukan's, let alone Grace's. He thought both of them better hear this though, so he struggled through it. "_Follow me, please._" Grace exchanged a glance with Eytukan, who was looking after Jake with a frown. He had half addressed him correctly, but it was the curt way that he had said to follow them that made the leader uneasy. He squeezed Grace's hand softly before letting go, following Jake into the lounge. Eytukan found himself looking at him, Tsu'tey and another girl, who was sitting up, and not looking towards the doorway.

Grace looked at the young girl, a frown of curiosity coming to her face. She peered closer at her, not being able to see her facial features as the girl turned away from her. At the sound of footsteps, the girl turned to face Grace. Grace gasped softly – the soft face with the high cheekbones, demure looking eyes that were clouded with sadness, and years of pain, the delicate nose... It was as if she was looking into a mirror.

But she wasn't; not entirely. Rather, she was looking into the past, to see a younger version of herself. "Bree?" Grace questioned.

A small smile played on the lips of the Avatar, and she nodded. "Hi, Aunt Grace."


	9. Not Your Business

**I had really planned to finish this fic these holidays… Work experience had other ideas. Well, finally, here is the next chapter! Now, bear with me, as I seem to no longer have an editor for my stories, or I won't for a while. My beta, ****AnnanInTheSky**** seems to have gone on strike.**

**Speaking of whom, she and I have done a small collaboration story. It is our version of Sylwanin's death, seen through Grace and Eytukan's eyes basically. You can find it on my account.**

**Reviews and favourites are always appreciated, and the same goes for this story, which I shall now allow you to read. Oh, and also, I held a poll for you to help me decide Tsu'tey's fate in this story, but since no one voted, I have decided. All right, enjoy reading!**

**Chapter Nine | Not Your Business**

"**If you're looking for Eytukan, he's at a meeting with the council." The male paused for a moment, and then continued, "That would be the man you slept with, in case names weren't exchanged."**

"So, how did you get here?" Grace questioned the young woman in front of her. As Grace cast her eyes over Bree Augustine, she couldn't help but notice the similarities the two shared, as well as the differences. Both had the high cheekbones, thin nose, and deep, chocolate eyes. Bree had let her hair grow down to her shoulders, and it was a much deeper red than Grace could ever hope to attain, even if she used hair dye. Bree's was purely natural.

Bree looked down at the mug of coffee she was nursing in the shack. It was strange; after all these years of dreaming of seeing her aunt again, now she just couldn't look her in the eye. "I managed to get into university, if that's what you're trying to work out of me," Bree smiled, turning back to Grace. Grace noted the way her smile pulled at the corners of her mouth of her heart-shaped face, similar to how Grace smiled when she didn't fully want to smile.

Some sense of surprise came to Grace at that. She hadn't even thought Bree finished high school, not that she couldn't academically, but due to what happened. "Good to know. As what?" Grace enquired, to which Bree replied, "Not a doctor."

"Dammit," Grace groaned, at which Bree gave a chuckle. The chuckle brought such a feeling of guilt into Grace as she heard it. It was the same as it had been twelve years ago. Bree was only twenty-one now. God, could that be right? That this vibrant young woman before her had once been the small little girl she had been able to pick up and coddle?

"Oh, come now. Aren't you happy I'm here?" Bree probed, jokingly. "I'm sure Eytukan is."

Any trace of a smile that Grace had had was officially gone at the mention of her lover's name. After getting over the shock of her niece – daughter, practically – being there, the formalities had come of asking her what the fuck she was doing trailing her aunt's love life. Of course, Grace had managed to work it out of her who was behind this, and she wasn't all that surprised. Eytukan had been outraged, Grace could tell, but he had kept it under wraps, as per usual. And, bless him, he hadn't been too resistant when Grace asked him if Bree could stay at the clan. "Now, about that, you can't do what you were doing any longer," Grace warned Bree.

Bree nodded. "I know, aunt. But I didn't realise I was tailing you," the young girl explained. Grace figured Quaritch hadn't told her who the Grace she was tailing actually was, for personal reasons. No one wants to follow their aunt's sex life, after all. "And Uncle Miles – "

"He's not your uncle anymore," Grace told her.

An apologetic grimace came to Bree. "Sorry. Miles then. Miles sort of forced me."

Grace shook her head. Quaritch stooped low, really. "I'll deal with Miles for you," she promised, and her hand turned into a fist subconciously as she said that. It was actually the first time she had called him by his first name in a long time.

Bree noticed the fist Grace made, but didn't comment on it, though she was curious as to what went down between her and Miles. They were in love and preparing to get married the last time she saw them twelve years ago. "Like the way you gave him that scar?" Bree joked, bringing her eyes back up to Grace. It was the first thing she had noticed of her 'ex-uncle' when she saw him again, and the second thing she had noticed was how much he had aged. Now, looking at Grace, the same could be said for her. Or was her photographic memory going wiry?

Grace shot her a warning look, but her eyes were laughing. "I see you still have that wicked sense of humour, Bree."

A gentle nod came from Bree. "Yeah, well... one thing you get from a shitty childhood," Bree said, flicking her red hair back.

Grace hesitated when that sentence escaped Bree's mouth. Her heart clenched at the simple flow of the sentence – Bree had obviously used it before. She wanted to remind her that it hadn't all been downhill, but looking back, it could have been much better. "Bree, what happened," Grace began, treading carefully, "You have to understand it wasn't my fault. I had no choice."

Bree looked at Grace. "I know. And I have for a long time," she reassured her aunt, hesitatingly reaching her hand out to grip Grace's. Grace squeezed Bree's hand in return.

"Still, I just want you to know that there really hasn't been a day that's gone by where I didn't wonder what had become of you. My little girl," Grace smiled.

Bree smiled, and it faded to a confused frown. "You've become soft, aunt Grace." All traces of 'softness' dissipated. "This planet has had an effect on you." Yes, this planet, or maybe someone on this planet.

"Thanks, Bree," Grace replied dryly, and was about to add something when Jake wheeled himself over to them after breaking the connection with his link chamber. Grace hadn't realised how late it had gotten.

Bree cast her eyes over to Jake, and didn't flinch when she saw he was in a wheelchair, or make some nasty comment like a lot of military people did, or general people, even. She smiled and then said, "Having trouble at the clan because of me?"

"Oh, you know it," Jake told her, but it wasn't in a harsh tone. "Eytukan isn't that pleased with the two of you."

"When is he pleased with anyone?" Bree pointed out. Having only met Eytukan for about three minutes, Bree had been rather intimidated by him, and the moment those words were out of her lips, she regretted them. Grace gave a snarl, which Bree counteracted with a worried frown. Did Grace just _snarl_?

Jake, obviously accustomed to Grace's animalistic ways – he wasn't much better, he was slowly discovering – Neytiri was having some effect on him, whether it was good or bad, he couldn't tell – – continued, "Well, he'll be fine in a few days. If not, I'm sure Grace will change his mind," Jake said, and Grace caught the innuendo with that.

Grace shook her head at Jake, and, as she got up, swatted him over the head hard for that remark. "You deserved that," she frowned at him. Jake couldn't disagree as he rubbed his head gently. "All right, people, it's been a long day, and there will be another tomorrow. So, I suggest we all get to bed."

**· · ·**

The next morning, the leader of the Omaticaya clan awoke to a soft, silky object in front of his face. Eytukan sniffed and pulled back, a smile coming to him as he saw it was Grace's hair. She was lying on her stomach, her head turned to the side away from him, towards the wall, and his body was pressed against her bare one. Well, she had had to convince him to let Bree stay, after all, but Eytukan hadn't realised part of the bargain was her staying the night, not that he minded. Whenever they had been together, Grace had always set her alarm at Hell's Gate to wake up, and then go into her Avatar to kick him out of bed before dawn if it was in her hammock, and would always leave if she was in his, if Mo'at was away. It was one thing to sleep with a man, it was another to spend the entire night with him. It was an aged tradition, Grace knew, but she felt it took away part of the sin of adultery. It really didn't.

Eytukan placed a soft kiss to Grace's hair, though her Avatar didn't stir, before getting out of bed. It was still early; the sun hadn't even begun to rise. Just like his father before him, he had always learned that a good leader awoke before the clan, and a great leader awoke before the sun. Grace found it stupid, he knew, but since he wasn't disturbing her, why should she worry?

A few hours later, when it was a more sensible hour, Grace's Avatar stretched as the driver woke up. While it wasn't necessary for an Avatar to stretch, it felt more natural, so Grace did it anyway. Her ears flickered as she heard the clearing of someone's throat. "_Morning,_" she smiled, not turning around to see Eytukan. The sound came again. Grace realised what he wanted. "_All right... But we best make it a quickie since you have a clan to lead,_" she chuckled, turning around to face him.

But the hammock was bare, and the person staring at her wasn't Eytukan at all.

Grace yelped and covered herself as best as she could as she bore the full frontal stare of the male Na'vi. His brow creased in a frown as he looked at the Avatar, being wary to not look below her shoulder level. "Hello," he said, in English. Grace's ears flickered as the voice seemed familiar. She just couldn't place the face. "If you're looking for Eytukan, he's at a meeting with the council." The male paused for a moment, and then continued, "That would be the man you slept with, in case names weren't exchanged."

Ouch. Grace would have snarled at the male and told him to get the hell off her back, but reminded herself that she was a woman – Na'vi tradition meant she wasn't as high as a male, and also, the fact that she ought to be saving her pride thanks to the sticky situation she was now in, she held her tongue. Right on cue, Eytukan came into the room, and Grace gave a sigh of relief.

Eytukan looked at Grace, and then at the male. His topaz eyes widened as he did. "_Adaman?_" he questioned.

Both Grace and the male turned to the name. "Adaman?" Grace questioned, looking at the male. "Adaman, is that you?" Looking at him closely, it was him. The weathered yet handsome face, with eyes that seemed that they could see into your very soul, there was no doubt of who it was. There was a sort of laughter in his eyes as if he had just told a hilarious joke, and his lips were always turned up, so it gave him a sort of charm that he was always smiling. It wasn't a bad trait to have.

"Grace?" Adaman questioned, looking back at the Avatar. No wonder she looked familiar! The face, at least...

In order to save his lover's dignity – even though that had been lost years ago – Eytukan went to grab a blanket from a corner of his room to toss to Grace. Even though nudity was rather common in the clan, Eytukan knew Grace wasn't comfortable with it, and considering it was Adaman looking at her, it put him more on edge. "_I thought you were coming back next week_," Eytukan stated, causing Adaman to take his eyes off Grace, which Eytukan was thankful for.

"_That is a nice way to greet your friend_," Adaman mocked him as he turned back, but shook it off. "_And no, I said that last week. So, this week is 'next week'._"

Grace hesitated, feeling so awkward as she pulled the blanket over her bare body. Eytukan cast a glance to her, and then back to Adaman, saying, "_Mind we continue this at a later time?_"

Adaman nodded, looked at Grace and then left.

A couple of minutes later, Grace had changed and had generally gotten ready for the day when she decided to talk to Eytukan. Eytukan, as usual, was reading through scriptures that made absolutely no sense to Grace, but appeared to hold all the answers to life for him. "_Eytukan,_" she began, "_Where has Adaman been all this time?_"

Eytukan had to carefully think on how to word this. Grace had brought him into dangerous and painful waters, waters he had tried to swim away from. "_Well after you left,_" he began, and the way Grace's ears went back made him wonder if there was a better way he could have worded that. "_Adaman left the clan due to family problems. But I knew he'd come back – he has a duty to this clan after all._"

Grace nodded. She knew that Adaman and Eytukan had been the best of friends since they were children, which made her ask the next part. "_So, before he came back and practically had a heart attack, you couldn't have told him about me?_" Grace asked innocently, looking at Eytukan.

Eytukan hesitated. "_Oh. About that,_" he said, looking at her. "_You have to understand. Adaman has known me to only practice monogamy. He wouldn't think too highly of me if he found that has changed now." '_Also, the less people who know about this, the better', thought Eytukan.

"_From my memory, he was worse than you,_"Grace pointed out, coming over to him. _"Didn't he have five girlfriends at the same time once?_"

A musical laugh came from Eytukan, which brought a smile to Grace's face. She always managed to make him laugh, something she noticed that no one, except maybe Neytiri once in a while, could do. "_I'm surprised you remember_," Eytukan said, remembering that he told that tale to Grace many years ago, when they had just started their affair. They had just been making small talk, which made Grace's memory all that more remarkable.  
"_Not just a pretty face, darling,_" Grace chuckled, to which Eytukan replied, "_Believe me, I know_." He earned a playful swat over the head for that, and unlike Jake, he didn't rub the spot – Grace had barely touched him.

"_I hope I won't be one of the many girlfriends you hope to have."_

"_Why would I want any other when I can barely handle you?_" Eytukan joked, pulling her over to him. He let her sit on his lap, wrapping his arms securely around her slim middle. "_If another man asked you to be his, you wouldn't agree, right?_"

Grace panicked, and was glad Eytukan's hands weren't anywhere near her heart, for he would have been able to feel the rate pick up. Her mind flashed back to the night with Miles just over a week ago, and remembered Jake's whole monologue on how much it would kill Eytukan. Also, the way Eytukan worded that question made her think that only one answer was acceptable. "_Of course,_" Grace said, throwing in a smile to further the lie. "_Eytukan, I don't sleep with someone lightly._" Oh, she wanted to believe that, but she wasn't sure.

Eytukan seemed pleased, and he rewarded her for the correct answer with a soft kiss.


	10. Who's That Woman?

**Chapter Ten | Who's That Woman?**

' **Miles looked into Grace's brown eyes. "Grace, be honest with yourself," he said, his voice changing to one of a darker, more sinister nature, which sent shivers down Grace's spine. "How much do you really know of this man?" '**

Grace awoke uncharacteristically early in her human form the next morning. A yawn came from her as she rolled onto her side, and felt a presence radiating heat beside her. She wondered if Bree had moved over to her bed, but then thought about how strange that idea was – even as a child, Bree had never done something like that. Grace opened her eyes to see what she actually felt.

She yelped and nearly fell off the bed when she saw who it was.

"Good morning, sunshine," Miles smirked at her, laying across her bed as if he did that every morning. He had this hands behind his head, his legs crossed, a picture of perfect ease. A statue of Adonis on her bed. Something every woman dreamt of, but not Grace. She gave a snarl.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" she demanded.

A frown creased over Grace's features as Miles slid his hand under the sheets and grazed along her hips. "I just came to help you finish that dream you were having of me."

Grace had to pause for a moment, rendered speechless by his words. She nodded then, which hopefully surprised him. "All right," she said, letting a seductive smirk, mirroring his, come to her face. "It was going something like this…" Grace purred, trailing off as she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him in. In return, he gave a smirk and brought their hips closer together.

Grace brought her knee up to hit him in the groin with all the force she could muster from her side-laying position. Miles flew back in agony, allowing his ex to get out of bed and wrap her dressing gown around her. "You deserved that, you bastard," Grace snarled, all traces of 'seductiveness' disappearing. "You have some nerve sending my niece on a spy trip."

Miles had by now recovered from Grace's attack, but he was still slightly winded she could tell by the way he slightly panted. Still, he managed to straighten up, which pissed her off. He wasn't rolling on the floor like she had been anticipating. How pathetic.

"Well," Miles began, that default smirk for whenever he was with Grace coming to his features, "She always wanted to be an agent. Consider it her work experience."

"You have fucking nerve to have kept her away from me. You could have told me she was here, and vice versa, rather than giving us both heart attacks when we found one another." Grace frowned and shook her head. "God, you have nerve."

Miles shrugged that comment off, accustomed to having such a remark obviously. "I know. That is what brought me to Pandora in the first place, sweetheart."

"Stop calling me that," Grace snapped. "Your nicknames aren't going to stop me from yelling at you, which I am. Besides, you have another 'sweetheart' to dote on now, remember?"

"Am I sensing jealousy there, Grace?" he mocked.

Grace rolled her dark brown eyes and scoffed. "As if. If anything, its pity for poor Mandy – she must not have better things to do if she must entertain you without getting paid for it." Grace smirked, half from the comment she just made, and half from the way Miles stiffened when it came from her. "Besides, I actually have a life now that you're breathing down someone else's neck all the live long day."

"Doesn't what's-his-face do that?"

"Amazingly, no. And unlike you, he doesn't belittle me."

"Isn't he belittling you by making you have an affair?" Miles pointed out. When Grace looked puzzled, Miles continued, "I know he's married. The database at RDA is perfect for researching these lot."

Grace rolled her eyes. "Well, at least you're branching out on things that you're looking up on the internet," Grace smirked, turning away from Miles.

"Why are you even with him? Not for his looks, surely," Miles teased. "Come on Grace, even you have to admit – you could do better."

Grace whirled around back to Miles in a rage, a snarl coming from her, telling him to back off. Of course, being a human, and being Miles, he just found it comical. "Do you feel like gaining another scar?" Grace asked, coming close to trace her nails along the gashes marring the side of his face for effect. "Or making me re-open those?"

"Why don't you suggest that to your new beau?" Miles suggested. "Could help him look a little better." He looked at her. "Oh Grace, when will you admit to yourself that you're crazy about me?" Grace shook her head in exasperation and turned away from Miles, walking away to get to the main part of the shack. Miles only followed her, his heavier footsteps making more of a noise than her lighter ones on the hard metal floor. "Fine, I'll get the ball rolling – I still love you."

Grace nodded, not looking at him. "Well that's good, because I don't love you."

"Grace, I know you can feel it too," Miles said, coming up to her from behind, placing his hands on her waist. Grace stiffened as Miles moved to her neck. "You know we're going to end up back together."

Grace didn't know whether to laugh, or slap him. The latter sounded more fun, but more risky, considering who Miles was and what he could do. "Wow," Grace gasped, managing to turn around, but his grip was still on her hips. "You are crazy!"

"Crazy for you."

"You can't say such things – you have a girlfriend, remember?"

"Yes, a girlfriend you haven't met yet," Miles pointed out. "Why don't you and your posse come down – RDA misses you."

Grace rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time today. Maybe that's what made her have all those headaches when she was with Miles, as she felt a little lightheaded from doing it. "So now that you can't have me, you're resorting to dangling her in front of me until I jump back into your arms? It ain't happening, comrade."

Miles looked into Grace's brown eyes. "Grace, be honest with yourself," he said, his voice changing to one of a darker, more sinister nature, which sent shivers down Grace's spine. "How much do you really know of this man?"

Grace looked back at Miles. "Could have said the same for you when we first met."

"We were together over a decade. We spent practically every night together. Believe me, I know you – you know me." Miles looked at her seriously. "But how much do you know of this tail?" Grace continued to stare into Miles eyes, unafraid, as most people were. She just looked at him, her expression cold, but inside her mind was working. Miles was about to add something when Jake wheeled himself into the area. Grace moved back, placing a reasonable amount of distance between her and Miles. Unfortunately, Jake's eyes were too quick, and he arched an eye brow when he saw where Miles' hands had been. Jake paused, letting the tension in the air build a little before saying, "Hi."

"Hi," Grace said innocently back.

Jake nodded. "Bye…" said slowly as he wheeled himself back. _"How about when you tear a clan apart? A family? Do I get to be mad then?"_ Grace bit her lip as she heard Jake's voice ringing in her ears.

Miles looked back at Grace after his Marine left, having not greeted him. There was nothing needed to be said between them. "Well, I will see you when you get back to RDA this weekend," Miles said, turning to leave.

"Miles, I'm not coming," Grace forewarned him. She had no time for the humans there, she decided. She couldn't stand their company.

Miles looked at her. "Yes, you are."

"And if I refuse?"

Miles smirked a little, which set Grace on edge. "You won't."

**· · ·**

Miles' words echoed in Grace's head all that day. With her time with Eytukan, as he kissed her, she was thinking. She knew of his mother, Nari't his grandmother Neytiri – where his youngest got her name – his father, Auel, and his cruel stepfather. She knew he hadn't acquired the clan through the usual means, and that he married Mo'at, his childhood sweetheart, had children and the relationship promptly fizzled. But that was literally it. No details, nothing.  
Eytukan was mulling over scriptures in the round structured council room, a room set near the leader's quarters. He could still remember clearly the first time he came to the Omaticaya clan and ventured into this room – the day he actually met Adaman as a young child – and met the then leader, Taron. After looking around the magnificent Hometree, Eytukan announced proudly to Taron, "_Sir, I am going to lead your clan one day_." Taron had burst out laughing, and told everyone in the council about the little boy who told such a fabulous joke. But Eytukan had been serious.

Eytukan rubbed his tired eyes after looking at the papers for so long when he heard a voice say, "_Eywa, have you still not finished those? I leave you for a year – a year – and you've barely made progress!_" Adaman chided his friend in a joking way, coming over to him.

"_Oh, yeah?_" Eytukan said, grabbing some of the scriptures and tossing them to Adaman, attempting to hit him over the head with them. Adaman blocked them by putting his hands up and bending down, laughing. Eytukan shook his head at his friend and then gestured to the scriptures. "_Be my guest_," he said, putting his writing implement down and leaning back, wanting to see if Adaman could tackle it. To make conversation, Eytukan said, "_I was thinking of letting Tsu'tey look after Bree, at least for a week. He's getting on my nerves, I need him out of my hair. He's as bad as his father._"

"_If he ever beat Grace to the point of making her collapse, then yes, he is," _Adaman painfully reminded Eytukan as he scribbled the pen along the parchment. Eytukan could remember that day far too vividly, and was fairly sure Grace could, too, even though she was out of it for most of the time. "_Speaking of whom, when were you going to tell me you were screwing the Avatar?_" Eytukan found himself astounded by the whiplash of his friend's words. He turned slowly to him, his mouth agape in shock by his friend's callous choice of words, trying to think of something intelligent to retort when Adaman continued, "_Fine. How do you want me to put it? Let's see… 'Making love', 'banging' – "_

"_Adaman, I'm begging you, stop talking," _Eytukan sighed, massaging his temples as he got that sordid image Adaman painted out of his mind.

Adaman nodded at his friend. _"Don't try and weasel out of it by making some long tale up, as she's no doubt taught you. Also, the fact that I walked in and found her buck naked on your bed does wonders for the imagination,_" Adaman said sarcastically, but his tone was more flippant than anything. That was the thing with Adaman, Eytukan had always found – he rarely ever seemed serious.

Eytukan paused for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts in order for something coherent to say. "_I didn't tell you, merely for I feared how you would react._"

Adaman nodded. "_Wise choice. Because I would have flipped out_, _as I am now. What the hell were you thinking, or are you thinking?_"

Eytukan sighed. "_You know perfectly well of the deal between Mo'at and myself._"

"_I don't think that's valid anymore_," Adaman pointed out. He had to ask the next question, and feared the answer. "_How long has this been going on?_"

Eytukan looked at Adaman, into those deep topaz eyes he knew so well. Too well, actually, just as Adaman would know his. He couldn't lie to his oldest friend, so he told the truth. "_Seven years. Well, six, minus the time she was gone._"

Adaman let out a long breath, leaning back in the chair he was in as he tried to process that information. It was a huge shock. This was _Eytukan_, the person he thought he knew the most. Turned out he didn't at all. "_Were you ever going to tell me?_"

"_I wanted to. But there never seemed to be a right time. And then you left, I barely heard from you in a year, and I figured I wouldn't._" Eytukan sighed and leaned back, copying Adaman's movement.

Adaman shook his head, not knowing what to say. "_Who knows?_"

"_Currently? Yourself, Jake Sully, Tsu'tey, and a new Avatar by the name of Brianne Augustine,_" Eytukan clarified, listing the names as easily as if he were prattling off the laws of the clan; he knew it that well.

Adaman looked at Eytukan. "_Mo'at is going to kill you. She is actually going to kill you dead._ _She may be a woman, but…_" Adaman sighed, and leaned forward again, needing to get a point across. "_What Mo'at did to you… Yes, it was adultery, but it didn't go on for this long._"

Eytukan turned away from Adaman, and Adaman's ears went back. After no contact for so long, and coming back to this dilemma, it could do grave consequences to a friendship, even one as old as theirs. "_She married that man. She humiliated me, herself, her eldest daughter…_" Adaman noted how Eytukan didn't refer to Neytiri and Sylwanin as his. "_And then when she came to me, she humiliated me further by… doing that!" _Eytukan snarled, his brow creasing. Adaman wasn't intimidated by such a reaction from Eytukan. Growing up with him, he'd learnt when Eytukan was pissed off. Some things just didn't change.

Adaman got up to leave, letting him be. It would be a while before he could calm Eytukan like he used to, he figured. "_She may have given you permission, but aren't you doing something wrong to her by falling for Grace?_" Eytukan looked up at Adaman. "_Don't play coy – you suck at it._"

Eytukan sighed, looking down. "_You know humans love different to us,_" was all he said, but Adaman saw the flicker of sadness in his eyes. Disappointment too? Very possibly.

Once more, Adaman hesitated, knowing he was about to bring up a touchy subject. He wasn't afraid of Eytukan; he just didn't like talking about past tragedies. "_You wish to trade a dead woman for an Avatar_," he said to Eytukan. Eytukan gave him a warning growl, and Adaman saw his fist clench compulsively. He continued on, forcing himself to. "_It's not a recipe for happiness. If it was, I wouldn't be so hesitant._" He shook his head at Eytukan. "_She's not Kalie._"

Eytukan remained silent. He forgot how straightforward Adaman could be. Adaman was the one who kept Eytukan grounded when they had first started at the Omaticaya clan, and clearly, things hadn't changed. Adaman looked meaningfully at Eytukan before standing up to leave. "_Adaman, one more thing," _Eytukan said, causing his friend to turn around. Eytukan looked into Adaman's eyes, putting his point clearly across. "_If you ever mention anything to anyone – especially Mo'at – about Grace… I promise. I will make your life a living hell…_"

Adaman looked back at Eytukan, unfazed. "_More than you already do?_"

Eytukan smirked evilly, and nodded. "_Yeah._" He turned on his heel then to leave the quarters.

Adaman paused, letting the threat sink in, before starting to follow his friend. "_We could talk about your feelings for Grace while we walk._"

"_Shut up, Adaman._"

Adaman chuckled and followed his friend, walking down the hall. Both of them were so involved with their own thoughts, they didn't notice Grace walking away in the opposite direction.


	11. Kalie

**Chapter Eleven | Kalie**

' **Adaman looked at Grace's hand and touched it gently. "I know you wonder why Eytukan seems withdrawn sometimes to you. But that's only because he's so scared he's going to lose you, too." '**

It had been about two days since Jake had properly seen Neytiri, and that worried him. While she was meant to spend all her time with him, he knew that she had other commitments as well. But, it was how he had left her last time that set him on edge.

"Calm down – Neytiri isn't one to hold a grudge," Tsu'tey reassured him as they walked towards the council room. As Jake was meant to report to Eytukan every once in a while, Neytiri went with him. Since he wasn't there, Jake asked Tsu'tey if he could come with him. He just couldn't be alone in a room with Eytukan currently, due to obvious reasons. Tsu'tey found this absolutely hilarious, but he could see where he was coming from, and said he would take him. Besides, it gave them a chance to talk about current 'affairs'.

Jake gave a sarcastic laugh. "Didn't you once tell me that when you were children, she chased you around Hometree wielding an arrow since you jokingly proposed to her sister, and she got mad?"

Tsu'tey stiffened. Why the hell did he tell Jake that? He knew Jake would use it as blackmail against him one day, he could just see it. "Shut up," Tsu'tey warningly snarled at him. Jake smirked. At that, Tsu'tey added, " – Mr. I'm-Too-Scared-To-See-Eytukan-On-My-Own."  
Now it was Jake's turn to frown, and Tsu'tey to smirk. "You can't blame me."

"Hey, I got worse than you," Tsu'tey reminded Jake.

Jake shifted his glance to him and gave him a look that said, 'Yeah, right'. "How so?" He knew Tsu'tey had found out about Grace and Eytukan's adulterous ways in a less than savoury way, similar to himself, but whenever Jake probed, Tsu'tey snapped at him, and Jake let him be. He was fairly sure that was going to happen now.

Instead, Tsu'tey hesitated. "Well... let's just say you came a few minutes earlier than me, and let's leave it at that, all right?" he said, still trying in vain to erase the image of Grace half naked on Eytukan's bed. They both should have talked to Adaman, considering what he walked in on.

Jake thought about what Tsu'tey said, and shuddered. "Oh dear God," he said, wincing. "All right, yes, you got a lot worse." Since they were upstairs in the royal's area, they could talk a little bit more freely about such a subject, since everyone was downstairs save for Eytukan, but Jake still lowered his voice a little. "I just still can't get over the fact that Grace is sleeping with – " Jake was cut off by a sharp blow to his side, causing him to be winded. He snarled, enraged, at Tsu'tey. "Tsu'tey, what the fuck – " Jake then followed Tsu'tey's gaze, and paled as he saw nine and a half feet of Neytiri coming towards them. "Oh shit. Hide me," he said, going to cower behind his friend from Neytiri's wrath.

Tsu'tey looked at Jake. "Oh... Yes, I'll get right on that," he said sarcastically.

Neytiri marched towards them, purpose in her step, and pointed a slim finger at Jake. "You!" She snarled. Jake's ears flew back. "Moron! What the hell happened to you two days ago?"

Tsu'tey reached behind him and pushed Jake towards Neytiri, which earned him a quiet yet vicious snarl from the Avatar. "I have a perfectly good explanation," he said, feeling like a young primary student who was found with his hand stuck in the lolly jar. Neytiri arched an eye ridge. "I found Bree."

Neytiri looked at Tsu'tey and then back at Jake. "What the hell is a 'Bree'?"  
Tsu'tey came to Jake's rescue, somewhat. "_He found an Avatar – Grace's niece, actually,_" he explained to Neytiri. "_You need to start keeping up with clan events._"

Neytiri turned to Tsu'tey then, curling her lips back in a snarl. "_Watch it, Tsu'tey_," she warned the warrior. He frowned at her. Neytiri turned her gaze back to Jake. "So where is this Bree, then?"

"She's probably with Grace," Jake assumed, trying to figure out how to apologise to Neytiri for leaving her high and dry – or low and wet, either way. He didn't get to, however, as another voice came behind them, "_No, she's with me_."

Neytiri, Tsu'tey and Jake turned to see their leader behind them, and beside him was the young woman. She was a bit taller than Neytiri, Jake noted, and her relation to Grace was clear with the set of her face. Tsu'tey frowned a little at Bree. He didn't know whether to dislike her, or hate her. Jake rather liked her, but now that Neytiri was rather pissed at him, he wasn't too big of a fan. Eytukan looked over at Jake. "_I needn't see you – sorry, I should have sent word of that._"  
Jake looked at him quizzically. Eytukan might as well have been speaking French or Mandarin. "Huh?" he asked.

Neytiri translated for him, and then looked at the Avatar. She stuck out her hand for her, which Bree took in surprise. Neytiri gave Jake a look, and he took her Na'vi greeting. He wondered if he was somehow turning into Neytiri's representative, or if that was what she somewhat had in mind. "_I see you,_" he said, touching his fingers to his forehead and then to Bree. Jake had noted that he never once saw Eytukan do that to Grace... Maybe since he felt they were so close, he didn't have to. Or maybe, they were further apart than he thought.

Bree did the same to Jake. "_I see you, Jake,_" she told him. Tsu'tey gave a deathly glower to the young Avatar. He didn't know what it was about Bree; he hated her. Her bearing was cocky in a way Tsu'tey didn't like. She held her head too high, her walk was just too free. She didn't hold any concern for the world around her. She seemed to think she was invincible or something of the like.

Eytukan said something to Neytiri, and Bree caught her name, in the flurry of words. Neytiri gave a simple nod in reply. "Come, Jake, Bree... Tsu'tey," she said, including Tsu'tey in it as well, until Eytukan said, "_Tsu'tey, may I have a word?_"

Tsu'tey cringed internally, but nodded his approval to Eytukan. Jake looked concerned, but Tsu'tey shook his head, and Neytiri and Jake went off, Neytiri oblivious to the exchange between the two of the three main males in her life. Eytukan gently gave Bree a gentle push towards Jake and Neytiri, and she looked at him quizzically. And then she caught on, and went after them, leaving Tsu'tey and Eytukan alone. Tsu'tey now fully understood why Jake was so worried about talking to Eytukan in private; he felt the creeping sense of unease as Eytukan's eyes pierced him. "_Tsu'tey, I want you to look after Brianne Augustine over the next few weeks,_" he instructed.

Tsu'tey's ears flickered, and he frowned. "_Sir, so sure that is wise? I have warriors to train..."_

"_Funny that – I never see you doing it these days,_" Eytukan pointed out. Tsu'tey's frown deepened. _"Brianne is a good student."_

"_How do you know?" _Tsu'tey daringly asked, carefully omitting out the sentence, 'How much has Grace really bribed you to say that?'

Eytukan snarled threateningly at Tsu'tey, his intelligent and intimidating topaz eyes staring right into him. "_You better damn well not disobey me, Tsu'tey. You're not leader yet, and if you keep such an attitude up that mirrors that of your father... I can easily change my mind_." With that threat implanted, Eytukan left, leaving Tsu'tey seething after him.

**· · ·**

Grace had taken herself to the quiet confines of the royal's lounge. No one who didn't know about her and Eytukan would come up here, so she wouldn't be kicked out. At least, that's what she hoped. She drummed her fingernails against her knee as she waited on a seat, her expression showing that she was deep in thought.

Her cat-like ears flickered as she heard a voice coming up the passageway, as well as the rustle of papers. "... _Twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine_..." The voice came closer, and Grace straightened up as Adaman stepped in, his fingers flicking through some pieces of parchment. He looked at her in shock, having clearly not expected her. "Oh, Grace. I'm sorry – I didn't realise anyone would be here." _Especially you_, thought Adaman. He was half-tempted to kick her out, but despite what he felt for her. Their friendship had been the first Grace had struck up when she came to the clan, but now Adaman felt terribly awkward around her. Now that Eytukan was sleeping with her, he found it hard to strike up a conversation that didn't begin with, 'So, when are you leaving Eytukan and coming to your senses?'

Grace shook her head gently. "I didn't mean to, but I was waiting for you," she told him.

"Me?" Adaman echoed, looking at her strangely as he went to place the parchments on the table that was strategically located four metres away from the chair where Grace sat. Adaman had always meant to move it closer to the chair, but never did.

Grace looked at Adaman, wondering how to cover herself to not get in trouble for what she was about to say. "I heard you talking to Eytukan yesterday," she admitted. Adaman didn't seem to take much notice of that statement, as he continued to shuffle the papers into some sort of order, and Grace continued, "Who's Kalie?"

The sound of rustling papers stopped. Adaman seemed to freeze, and after several moments, he placed his hands on the table, his head going down slightly. He turned around to her to say, "I'm not the one you should ask, Grace." Adaman quickly went to move away, but Grace reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Adaman, we've been friends for over a decade," Grace reminded him, as a bit of an incentive.

The healer gave a sigh, and moved to sit beside Grace. "I would have assumed Eytukan told you. But, not many people know of Kalie," he told her, a bit of a look of disbelief over his features. Just as Jake had though that morning, Adaman wondered if Eytukan really wasn't as close to Grace as he had originally thought. If he kept this from her, what else was he keeping? Adaman didn't need to ask himself that question; he knew exactly now how much he would be keeping from her. Eytukan was going to kill him for telling Grace.

"When Eytukan came to the Omaticaya clan under Taron's rule, he was only eight years of age," Adaman began. "We quickly struck up a friendship, and then we both branched out and met Mo'at and Kalie. Over the years, it quite obvious that Eytukan was falling for Mo'at, at least it was to us. Especially Kalie. She and Eytukan always had this special bond. He was almost like a brother to her, just as she was a sister. But she wanted more than that.

"When he was seventeen, Eytukan's mother, Nari't, died in childbirth from eclampsia – which are convulsions – and she lost Eytukan's half-sister as well. You know that Eytukan's father, Auel, died when he was only six years old. Nari't married this man by the name of Tzumakan. Eytukan's doctor, a man by the name Píran, warned her against falling pregnant again, but Tzumakan forced her. After her death, Eytukan was... Grace, I'd never seen him so angry, and so upset. While Nari't hadn't entirely been in his life for the past few years since he was taught here, since his birth clan was in another country, he still loved her. He took me and we threw Tzumakan out. I think from there Eytukan grew more reserved, even to me. But he became the most fantastic warrior of his day, and because of that Taron gave him the leadership of the clan after his death, due to his own son having died young and he no longer had an heir. I told Eytukan he needed a Tsahík, and he of course asked Mo'at. She said no.

"Well, you know some of the story. Mo'at went and married someone else, and..." Grace nodded as Adaman trailed off. She knew what had happened in between, and Adaman didn't want to say it. "Eytukan was distraught once more. I tried everything to cheer him up, and I mean everything. But it was actually Kalie who broke his shell. They grew closer, but Eytukan didn't love her, per se. At least not the way she wanted. He was still pining after Mo'at. Kalie could see she'd never be his number one, and she herself grew terribly upset over it. I guess because of that she didn't truly take care of herself, and her immune system broke down. She caught a deadly influenza, and she died in Eytukan's arms a few months later."

That concluded Adaman's story. Grace looked down, processing all of that. "So he blamed himself?" Grace asked Adaman, bringing her gaze back up to him.

Adaman nodded sadly, his usual bubbly spirit having been subdued after bringing up such memories. "Quite. Mo'at eventually came back, since her mate was... Well, he was as bad as Ateyo was to you." Grace swallowed and shuddered, and Adaman felt bad for reminding her of that dark period. "Eytukan, amazingly, took her back, but she continued to hurt him after they were married." Adaman looked at Grace's hand and touched it gently. "I know you wonder why Eytukan seems withdrawn sometimes to you. But that's only because he's so scared he's going to lose you, too."

Grace looked at Adaman, feeling a lump form in her throat suddenly. She suddenly felt so guilty, remembering how she had talked to him before he threw her out of the clan a year ago, having slept with Miles while she was with him. All those infractions added up. Grace had to think what Eytukan had ever done wrong to her, and she couldn't think of much, whereas her list went on. What sort of a person was she? "But why didn't he ever tell me of this?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. She couldn't fall apart right now.

Adaman pulled away from Grace, wondering how to answer that question. "As close as we are, I don't know all his thoughts – thank Eywa," he added, hoping to put a little bit of light into this grim conversation. Grace didn't really smile. "Maybe he was scared because of what you would think of him. He hates himself for what happened to Kalie. But you know, since I've come back, and I've found out about you two, I've noticed he's a little more like his old self. A little more open, and happier. So, he can thank you for that, and so can I." Adaman smiled at her.

Grace managed to smile a bit back, her heart still heavy after what Adaman unloaded on her. She patted his hand. "Thank you," she said, getting up.

Adaman stopped her. "Grace, just one more thing," he began.

Grace turned around to face Adaman. "Of course?"

Adaman looked at his old friend, and warned her, "After Kalie's death, all Eytukan could think of himself was that he was a murderer. And after a battle with your people, after hurting one of them, he honestly loathed himself. He got some... pretty bad demons as a result. So all I'm asking is you just keep an eye on him, please."

Grace slowly nodded her agreement, and she squeezed Adaman's hand gently. "I will," she promised.


	12. Nice She Ain't

**Ugh, sorry for uploading this so many times – the two different Words on the Acer and the Dell don't like one another!**

**Well, I have to say this is my favourite chapter thus far... Read on, and you might find out why. And this is the first chapter that Grace and Eytukan aren't in, just warning you.**

**Chapter Twelve | Nice? She Ain't**

"_**Uh... You weren't really injured. But honestly, I think most of the damage happened to your face.**_**"**

**Tsu'tey was fully alert now, and he looked up, taking his fingers off his temples. "**_**What do you mean, 'most of the damage happened to your face'?**_**"**

Tsu'tey was still seething over Eytukan's threat as he walked down to the forest floor. He had placed a small, little ticking time bomb in Tsu'tey's mind, and eventually, it would explode, and Tsu'tey knew just who it would explode upon. He did honestly like Eytukan – the man was more a father to him than his own father ever was – but his anger got the better of him most times. In times such as that, it was hard for Tsu'tey to distinguish between friend and foe. Tsu'tey knew he would take that anger out on Eytukan, and it would have dire consequences.

Or not, if it was on someone else and not the leader.

Bree sat upon a log on the outskirts of the forest, in the ring that the forest closed around Hometree, marking off the north, east and west boundaries. The running river marked the other. The river was the source of water for the clan, but when it overflowed after a period of rain, it put mud all over the usually dry, trodden ground. It didn't rain often in Pandora, unless it was the monsoon season, as it was currently. So, when it did rain, it poured. The mud would stay for days, much to the delight of young Pa'li colts and fillies, as well as some other creatures. For Jake and Neytiri, however, it was a hindrance slipping and sliding on the mud as they fought one another.

For Neytiri, this little exercise was proving to be her revenge on what Jake did to her a few days ago. She lunged forward, her choice of weapon – a claw – scraping just inches near his throat. The claw – or, as Jake dubbed it, 'Freddy Krueger's Glove', since it was just like that in the make and scare factor – was a glove that slipped over the hand, and where the fingers would be, protruded four long, razor sharp blades that could do devastating damage. Thankfully, they were only wooden ones for practice; Neytiri would never let them use the real ones if they were fighting in such conditions. She hadn't even let Jake touch the real weapon, because he was rather clumsy with the practice one. And honestly, who could blame him? With five fingers, Jake was at a bit of a disadvantage for this weapon, as it didn't really fit on his hand, and practically fell off him. Neytiri had tied it to his hand, but it had such a limp quality to it that Neytiri wondered if it was such a smart move even letting Jake learn this. "Point," Neytiri said, as her wooden claws scraped across Jake's shoulder.

Bree smirked at Jake. "Ooh, burn Jake – a girl is beating you."

Tsu'tey rolled his eyes and came over to the trio. He looked at Bree and smirked. "Oh, what? You're a girl. I doubt you could do that."

Bree turned her head and gave Tsu'tey a deep glower; it only made him laugh more. Bree didn't quite have the intimidating factor that Grace could have when she wanted to. She just hadn't ever held such anger in her life. "Wanna bet?" Bree growled at him.

"You forget I know what you're worth Bree – nothing," Tsu'tey sneered. He was pleased to see that struck a nerve when Bree turned away in a huff.

"You don't even know me," Bree muttered under her breath. Tsu'tey's sneer only grew.

Neytiri rolled her eyes at Bree and her fiancé. "If you two aren't doing anything useful besides distracting Jake, you can leave." Jake, at this point, had somehow managed to try and strike Neytiri, and in the process hit his own self and scraped her across the cheek. Neytiri snarled in pain.

"Oh, God! Neytiri, I'm so sorry!" Jake apologised sincerely, feeling horrible that he had hurt her. He had to chuckle just slightly though at the dark, blue marks across her cheek, similar to when a human scratched their skin hard and got a red mark appearing. Jake just laughed at the three 'gashes'. "Wow, you remind me of our leader."

Bree bit her lip to stop from laughing. As she looked at the young woman, she realised Jake was right. "You're not wrong there."

Neytiri would have scowled at Jake, but laughter was infectious, and she gave a small chuckle. "I guess that isn't a compliment," she said, taking the claws off Jake and off her own hands, rubbing her cheek. "I think that's enough of that anyway."

'Crap,' thought Tsu'tey. "_What are you going to do now?"_ he asked Neytiri. He didn't want to be stuck with Bree...

Neytiri shrugged. "_I was going to take Jake for some archery,_" she told him. Jake mentally groaned as he picked up the word 'archery' in the quickly spoken sentence. Didn't he ever get a recess break in this school?

Tsu'tey frowned, as displeased as Jake was. Archery, he knew, was something Neytiri wouldn't want a tag along in. "_Fine_," he growled at her. Neytiri gave a growl in return, and touched Jake's arm. After they left together, Tsu'tey felt just slightly guilty. What had happened between him and Neytiri? They had been the closest of friends years ago, and then Sylwanin died. After that, things sort of went downhill.

Tsu'tey shook off his own depressing thoughts, and then turned to give a scowl at Bree. She returned the frown, and Tsu'tey snarled at her. Clearly, Grace hadn't taught her in Na'vi formality, but Tsu'tey's expectations of women – especially Avatars – were most likely very different to the general opinion. A woman should have her own voice, of course, but she should also be respectful, which he felt Bree really lacked in. "Well, come on."

Bree got up from the log, brushing her legs off of the moss and other bits that could have stuck to her. "Where are we going?" she asked Tsu'tey as she followed him. He didn't answer her question, but instead led her towards the river more. He went and grabbed a stick lying on the floor, and then came to draw a large circle around where Bree was standing. Bree frowned, and wondered if he was going to do something along the lines of, 'This is your circle. You don't move from there.' She really wouldn't put it past him.

Tsu'tey tossed the stick aside and then produced two rolls of material. Bree accepted them, and looked at them as if she wasn't sure what to do. Tsu'tey sighed and took her own hands in his, his rough, larger hands enveloping her smaller, softer ones, and then wrapped the pieces of material around each of them in such a quick succession that Bree wasn't sure which way he had done it. Bree tried to move her fingers, and barely could. The material was rough, and Tsu'tey had wrapped it tight, so it hurt a bit. "Is it meant to be so tight?" she asked sarcastically, looking at Tsu'tey with annoyance reflecting in her eyes.

"Yes," Tsu'tey lied. He looked away from her and gestured to the circle. "This is the ring. If you step out of the ring, that's a point to me, and vice versa. If I hit you, I get a point."

Bree frowned. "And if I hit you?"

A small smirk crept onto Tsu'tey's features. "Palulukans bow down to you," was all he said as he dropped into a fighting stance, his legs apart in a steady position, right foot turned to a forty-five degree angle. He put his own hands up, which he hadn't wrapped. Bree quickly mirrored his position, so quickly that Tsu'tey wondered if she had done such a thing before. He doubted it; humans were generally lazy, and he assumed Bree was no different. Still, he had to ask. "You've done this before?"

Bree gave a curt nod. "I'm a third degree black belt," she said. Tsu'tey arched an eye ridge, a puzzled expression coming over his face. She smirked a little when she saw that she was superior to him in one aspect. "You don't know what that means, do you? Well, basically, it means that I have been – "

"I don't care," Tsu'tey snarled at her softly, and Bree huffed. "Let's just try some basic offensive and defensive parrying."

Bree scoffed. "That's all?" she asked. White belt stuff.  
"Well, as you seem so keen on telling me, I don't know anything about you – I have no idea what you can do," Tsu'tey leered, lunging towards Bree. She quickly parried it away from her body, moving with the parry as she did. Tsu'tey was surprised. Generally, and it was a pet peeve of his, warriors didn't always move with the parry. He was always hounding on his warriors about that. But the way she _moved_. It was as easy as if she was breathing, and double points for her being on muddy, slippery ground.

After parrying, Bree quickly came back with a counter shot, which Tsu'tey quickly – and barely – dodged. How was it that an Avatar, only nine feet tall, was doing this so effortlessly? This quickly became the pattern. Bree honed in on Tsu'tey, and Tsu'tey barely kept within the lines of escaping her. She never gave him the chance to go on the offensive. Or – and Tsu'tey wouldn't admit it, but he was fast approaching the point of thinking it – he didn't have the skill to do so. Grudgingly, after a few minutes, Tsu'tey had to acknowledge she was good. _Really _good. But he certainly wasn't telling her that, no way.

"So, what?" Tsu'tey asked. "You started to fight to take out your anger on Grace for leaving you back on that hell hole you call home?"

"This is my way of making you get rid of that chip in your brain. You've had nothing but attitude for me the moment I got here, and I'm having none of it," Bree growled, moving to jab his shoulder. "You want to fight? Fine. I'll fight. Point."

"Point," Tsu'tey said.

Bree lunged forward again, and Tsu'tey quickly did a universal block to push it out of the way. "You're living in a petty teenage delusion that you've somehow been wronged for something in the past. And you're affecting everyone because of it. Point."

Tsu'tey grunted from the impact on his shoulder, and moved it to shake off the pain. Fucking hell, she was good. A woman wasn't meant to be this good at fighting. Tsu'tey had never fought anyone smaller than him. He always picked out the larger males for more competition, and used his speed to take them out. Bree was small, but it was becoming apparent to Tsu'tey that she had muscle and skill built into her petite and beautiful figure. "You know nothing about that," he snarled dangerously at his opponent. He wanted to yell at her, but didn't want to waste the oxygen.

"And you know nothing about me," Bree told him, anger and annoyance flashing in her topaz eyes. She didn't like this male. She wanted him to pay. He had no right to strut about the clan, thinking he could walk all over everyone. "You may be royal, but you can stop the attitude. That won't get you anywhere."

Oh, perfect. He was getting etiquette lessons from an Avatar. Could life get any better? "And neither will the reputation you're talking about," Tsu'tey growled, lunging forward. Bree disappeared from sight, jumping into a splits, and Tsu'tey looked down to see her nowhere. Before he knew what had had happened, she touched his shoulder from behind. Tsu'tey snarled in frustration as she bounced forward lithely on her feet back to the front. "Abandoned by your mother and having Grace to look after you. You're just as bad as her. Having flings with men undoubtedly to get by. Bet that's how you even got here in the first place."

Her face turned hard, from the insult to her and her most favourite person in the world. If anyone insulted Grace, as it had been from the start, Bree never took it lying down. "_That_," she said tightly, "is something _you _know nothing about. Point."

Tsu'tey winced at the blow but was happy to see he'd struck a nerve. So, a part of that would have been true, else she would have told him otherwise. He was interested now. "So, what did you do? Meet him at a bar? Or at a whore den? Eywa, what would Grace say about that?"

"Tsu'tey, for once in your life, fucking shut up," Bree snarled, clearly enraged as the hits got harder.

"Ah, so it is true, then," he sniggered, an evil glint in his eye. He was loving this, torturing her, getting under her skin. It took his mind off of Eytukan's threat. "Aww, what is it, Miss Augustine? Am I tarnishing your precious reputation on how you've made your way in life? You aren't any different from your aunt – you just screwed them, and – "

There is a reason they say, 'Pride goeth before a fall'. Tsu'tey was so caught up in his own cocky triumph that he wasn't paying attention to his feet, and how close he was to the outside of the circle. Going out of the line would mean yet another point to her large tally, and Tsu'tey wasn't having none of it as he tried to avoid the line and dodge Bree at the same time. Unfortunately, only one of those would work. Bree's fist came flying hard, a little higher than was permitted for this exercise. The sound was audible as Bree's fist smacked into Tsu'tey with the power of a thanator cub, and – thanks to the setting they were in – Tsu'tey's feet slipped on the muddy floor, and flew backwards, hitting his head, hard.

Pain cracked through the back of Tsu'tey's head, and he felt woozy. Immediately, Bree was over him, but Tsu'tey's vision was blurred, and he heard a swarm of insects in his ears. "Tsu'tey…? _Tsu'tey…_! Are you okay?" Bree's voice somewhat came through as she bent over the warrior, looking at him in concern. Tsu'tey couldn't remember anything after that, so he must have blacked out.

**· · ·**

Tsu'tey awoke to a fanning on his face, and water being sprayed on him. "_What's your name?_" Asked a familiar voice.

Tsu'tey blinked a little, the light a little harsh, making him squint. "_What?_"

"_What's your name?_" Came the voice again. Tsu'tey realised it belonged to the head healer, Adaman.

Tsu'tey groaned. "_You know my name._"

"_I want you to say it._"

"_Tsu'tey. Tsu'tey Ranec._"

"_When's your birthday? Do you know it?_" Adaman probed, continuing to squirt water on his patient's face in an attempt to wake him up more.

"_Of course I do. Why are you asking me such dense questions? Have you lost my records?"_

Adaman gave an exasperated sigh and walked off, taking the annoying water with him. Tsu'tey had felt like a misbehaving pet when Adaman sprayed him with it. "_I think he's fine_," he heard Adaman telling someone who he couldn't see. He didn't want to sit up to check, his head feeling like it was bursting at the seams. "_But I'll keep him here for the rest of the day, just to be sure._"

Tsu'tey spent the rest of the day moving in and out of sleep, being awoken every half hour or less by Adaman to make sure he didn't slip into a coma or anything. By the fifth time of Adaman waking up, Tsu'tey was half tempted to take his damn clipboard that he always carried around the centre and shove it up where the sun don't shine. As afternoon turned to evening, Adaman gave Tsu'tey a cool towel to take with him, since he would need it when he left. He allowed Tsu'tey to sit up, and Tsu'tey was happy to find the dizziness had disappeared.

"_I say, Tsu'tey. I think I ought to give you a frequent patient's card," _Adaman said as he sat down to document Tsu'tey's time spent in the medical centre. A small smile was on the healer's handsome but weathered face. "_Apart from those who have chronic diseases, you're my most regular patient. I think you've even surpassed Eytukan's time spent in here when he was your age._"

"_Thanks,_" Tsu'tey said hesitantly, not sure if he wanted the honour. He gently rubbed his temples, still feeling the headache.

Adaman smiled at him, and then it faded as he surveyed Tsu'tey. "_Uh... You weren't really injured. But honestly, I think most of the damage happened to your face._"

Tsu'tey was fully alert now, and he looked up, taking his fingers off his temples. "_What do you mean, 'most of the damage happened to your face'?_" Adaman gestured to the bowl of water on the side of his desk. Generally, he used it for washing his hands well before an operation, but since none of the sort had happened today, the water was fresh and clean, and would give a good reflection. Tsu'tey siddled off the operation table and went over to look at his face.

"Son of a bitch!" he yelped in English, his voice and accent practically mirroring that of Jake's.

Purplish, red and dark blue splotches covered the upper portion of the left side of his face, darkening on the eye area. "_Adaman, this is going to go away soon, right? If I keep the cool towel?_" Tsu'tey didn't want to explain this to his warriors. How embarrassing would that be?

Adaman shook his head, and didn't seem very sympathetic for the warrior. "_It will fade, but not with the towel alone. It will get darker tomorrow, but it should fade in a few days, or a week. You'll be back to normal soon."_

Tsu'tey left the medics centre in a daze that had nothing to do with the fog that clouded his brain. Clear up in a week? Was Adaman kidding? Did he not understand how humiliating this was for Tsu'tey? He had a black eye. A fucking black eye.

And Bree Augustine had given to him.


	13. Revenge

**Chapter Thirteen | Revenge**

"_**She is too confident for her own good and she's intolerable and arrogant**_**."**

"_**Well, it's like staring at your reflection, isn't it?**_**" Eytukan asked.**

That evening, after dinner and as the clan settled down for bed, Eytukan didn't even lay eyes on Grace. They didn't need to see each other all the time, and they couldn't, or it could get a little suspicious of why he spent so much time with her. He had been her mentor, but that had been years ago; that title no longer applied.

Eytukan gathered up the papers he had been working on, wondering if he'd ever finish it before Tsu'tey and Neytiri took over from himself and Mo'at. In all honesty, he didn't have to do such a monotonous task, but Eytukan felt he'd do it best. Sometimes he wished he hadn't started it, though. The task of translating ancient Na'vi wasn't the most enthralling job in the world, but he knew that since Tsu'tey and Neytiri had never learnt it, they would struggle. Eytukan got up, taking the papers with him to place in a drawer in the corner of the room, away from the sunlight and draft. As he opened the drawer, he looked in to see a large, wooden box taking up half of the space inside. Eytukan's topaz eyes lingered on it for a moment, and he put the parchment on top of the bureau to look more closely at it. He reached into the drawer and took out the box, being careful not to cut himself or anything, since the edges were quite sharply and crudely done. Eytukan laid the box beside the parchments, and lifted the lid. Inside was a pair of claws, the fearsome blades shimmering in the light that streamed into the leader's quarters. The edges seemed to have a rustic quality to them, but Eytukan could tell from the metallic smell that it wasn't rust. He carefully ran his fingers along the blades, and the blood that encrusted one side of the pair. He closed his eyes, and could hear the cries of the battle, and feel himself reaching out to land the scarring blow on his smaller enemy…

"_Eytukan?_" The voice snapped him out of his reverie, and Eytukan snapped the box shut quickly as he turned around to see Grace in the doorway. She frowned slightly at the box, and the way Eytukan had closed it the moment she stepped in. "_What was that?_"

Eytukan looked at her and shook his head. "_Nothing more important than you,_" he smiled, his topaz eyes looking deeply into her own. It was an incredibly cheesy line, but nevertheless, Grace gave a smile and came over to him, forgetting about the box. She gently reached out and took his hands in her own, before closing the gap between them to place a tender kiss on his lips. Eytukan was a little surprised, but he kissed her back softly, wrapping his arms around her to pull her closer to him. After a few moments, he broke it off. He looked at her curiously, tilting his head to the side in a way that made him seem comically cute. "_What was that for?_"

Grace thought back to what Adaman had said to her yesterday, and decided not to say anything to Eytukan. She shook her head and smiled at him, wrapping her arms around him to pull him in so she could rest her forehead against his. "_Nothing, Eytukan_," she said to him. She kissed him softly again before changing the subject. "_Why did you make Tsu'tey look after Bree?_"

Eytukan smiled at his lover, and simply stated, "_Would you prefer she be on her own in these lands?_" When Grace made no reply, he continued, "_I think Tsu'tey will be a wonderful teacher for her. And I'm sure they will become close friends._"

Grace was tempted to open her mouth to say otherwise, but thought better of it. While with Eytukan she could speak her mind, she didn't want to abuse that power. She gave a half smile and nodded robotically. "_Sure. I'm sure they will become that_."

**· · ·**

"I hate that bitch!" Tsu'tey ranted the next morning to poor Jake's ears. Tsu'tey had taken him to the royal's lounge, a place he really had no business being, but since Tsu'tey was there, that was waived. Tsu'tey paced up and down the room furiously, crossing the space between each wall quickly, making Jake dizzy watching him. "She has absolutely no respect."

Jake took his fingers off his temples to rub his eyes. No, listening to Tsu'tey bitch about Bree really wasn't how he wished to spend the morning. "You brought this on yourself," he informed Tsu'tey, looking at his black eye. It just stood out, stark against his other features. Everyone had taken double takes when they saw him that morning, and Grace had gone so far as to tease him about it. Tsu'tey would have reacted accordingly, if it weren't for Eytukan standing right behind Grace at that time.

Tsu'tey gave a growl in his throat to silence Jake. "I didn't," he said, sounding like a stubborn child as he did. He stopped his pacing then, standing in the middle of the room. He turned on his heel to face Jake. "Where is she?" he asked. Jake replied with a shrug, and Tsu'tey huffed. He muttered some insult in Na'vi to Jake and then left him, going to find Bree. He found her downstairs near the river, her legs in a straight line as she was in full splits. Tsu'tey had to admit that was pretty impressive, for a human. Everyone could do that here.

Bree's pretty face, an almost exact replica of a younger Grace, turned to face Tsu'tey. She nodded slowly at his black eye. "Hi," she greeted, in a very casual tone. When Tsu'tey gave her a frown, she changed her tone and tried, "Good morning, sir. How are you today?"

Tsu'tey didn't reply to her, but at least she was a little better behaved the second time around. "Get up," he commanded her. Bree's ears shot back slightly, but she did, closing her legs as she did. "Follow me." Bree was dreadfully curious to ask where they were going, but she knew Tsu'tey wouldn't tell her.

The Avatar followed her mentor as he led her into the forest. Tsu'tey found it highly amusing how she just followed him with blind faith, confident that he would not do her wrong. Oh, how wrong she was. Tsu'tey stopped with such abruptness that it caused Bree to smack into him. He turned his head over his shoulder to give her a serious frown, and then turned around properly. "All right, _dreamwalker_, let's see how good you really are," he said, a flicker of a smirk coming across his features.  
Bree looked directly into his eyes, which pissed Tsu'tey off. She should know never to look someone higher than her in the eyes; she should focus on a spot just below it. Looking right in the eyes was a sign for a challenge. Tsu'tey was more than keen to present her one. "What are we doing?" she asked him.

"We're going for a run," he told her.

"Where to?"

A sly smirk danced across Tsu'tey's features. "We will see where we end up. Come on." With that, he took off into the forest. Bree was at a loss at what just happened, but she frowned and quickly ran to keep up with him. Tsu'tey was keeping quite a slow gait, but Bree was managing to keep up with him with no problem. Tsu'tey noticed how she wasn't breathing as slowly as she should be, in order to keep her breath. She might be good for short distances, but after about a few hours of running through the treacherous jungle, he could see Bree was near breaking point. He couldn't help but smirk, whereas she seethed, swallowing air hard. The cooling effect of this part of the forest from the river didn't help. Sweat ran down Bree's figure in a vain attempt to cool her down; she was too hot right now. "Oh God…" she panted. "How much further…?"

Tsu'tey looked off into the sky, and then after a few moments replied, "A hundred miles."

"Hey… You just made that up…!"

Tsu'tey turned his eyes back to his 'student'. Why did she have to be his student? Surely Neytiri could take on another; he didn't have time for this. His eyes pierced her bent over figure as she tried to get back a decent amount of breath. "I know. But if a creature was chasing you, like a palulukan, you would be lunch right now."

Bree snarled softly. "Well then, I would jump off a… waterfall… You know… like Jake."

"Your friend came across that waterfall by sheer luck." Tsu'tey placed his hands on his knees, and bent down to Bree's level. "What if there was no waterfall?" he smirked, feeling smart.

Flustered, Bree growled. "I would… Uh… Oh shut up…" She was seething. Tsu'tey was an assbutt. She couldn't stand him! He was just doing this to be spiteful, to repay her for yesterday, even though that had purely been an accident. All right, maybe her hand had been a little higher than it should have been, but he needed a good wake up call.  
Tsu'tey smirked and gently hit her shoulder to get her moving. "Come on."

"This is Avatar abuse…"

"Basic training. Neytiri would be making Jake do the same thing," Tsu'tey told her in that Na'vi burr of his. He didn't have an accent as strong as Neytiri, and his English seemed to be a little more complete, which Bree was quite thankful for. Still, it didn't make her stop the urge to roundhouse kick him in his fucking face. It could give him a broken nose to match his black eye, which seemed a couple of shades darker than it was yesterday. Bree had honestly felt terribly remorseful for that, but now she didn't at all.

Bree shook her head slowly, and shakily lifted her head to stare him dead in the eye. Tsu'tey stiffened slightly as she did. Members lower than him never looked him in the eye, always focusing on a spot just below his eyes, out of respect. Tsu'tey frowned at her. Bree ignored it. "No," she said coldly. "This is just revenge on your part."

Tsu'tey's ears flickered forward and he gave her a snarl. "What did you just say?"

"You just want… to make me pay for… the black eye," she panted, showing her teeth slightly.

Tsu'tey frowned. "You are a very long way from Earth, Bree. And while you are here, I suggest you watch it."

Bree scoffed. "You too… Maybe I ought to give you a broken arm to match your eye."

Tsu'tey rolled his eyes. Stupid bitch. He went over to the river, getting out his water pack he always carried. He collected the cold water from the fast flowing current, grimacing as he dipped his hands into it. For some reason, this part of the water was always cold. Perfect. Bree continued to rant at him as he did. "You know, you can't just strut around… and use your power to put down people lower than you."

Tsu'tey sighed, shaking his head at Bree. "Bree, I can break you many ways," he told her simply. He took a drink from the bottle and, before Bree knew what was happening, she felt herself sprayed by Tsu'tey. She yelped in disgust and shock as Tsu'tey's saliva mixed water sprayed all over her. Tsu'tey then went so far as to help her wash it off, by casually tilting the water pack so that the freezing water went all over her, emptying the water gourd. "There, that woke you up? You seemed a little exhausted. Now, let's go," he said, running off again, and this time, not even waiting for Bree to recover from the sudden water attack.

It was quite clear over the next few days that Tsu'tey managed to make Bree submit to him, at least for a bit. Her spirit was still strong, but her body was weak and hurting. Grace noticed that every step Bree took was basically in pain, and Tsu'tey made it worse by making her continually run. Never as far as the first day, but after two hours of running daily, Bree was worse for wear. Next to Jake, she was practically dead. Grace spoke to her lover about it, and Eytukan kept a close eye on Bree. Even he had to admit Tsu'tey was taking his duties as mentor to her a little beyond what was necessary.

Early one morning, Eytukan caught Tsu'tey in the lounge before he went to fetch Bree. He knew if he had missed him, he would have taken Bree for another torturous session. He sat with Tsu'tey on the large chair, similar to a sofa, in the royal's lounge. "_Why are you so harsh to Bree_?" he asked. Tsu'tey's black eye was not really there anymore. The whole incident was basically forgotten. The warriors had been smart enough not to comment on it, and people had stopped looking at him for prolonged amounts of time, which would make one think Tsu'tey would have dropped the situation by now.

Tsu'tey sighed and turned to Eytukan, his eyes focusing on his cheekbones. "_She is too confident for her own good and she's intolerable and arrogant_."

"_Well, it's like staring at your reflection, isn't it?_" Eytukan asked. Tsu'tey looked into Eytukan's eyes in shock. Eytukan was not known for his bitchy comments; he never even made such comments. Tsu'tey opened his mouth to retort, but Eytukan interrupted saying, "_Tsu'tey, do you know why I made you Bree's mentor?"_

"_To prepare me for Hell?_" Tsu'tey asked him. He was always told by his warriors that thanks to his merciless ways, he would be going under, not up to Eywa, when he died. They were a charming bunch.

Eytukan shook his head, no sign of laughter from the half-joke. "_No. Because you are nothing but a shell these days and it is damn well starting to worry me."_ Tsu'tey's ears flickered as he heard his leader cuss. Eytukan never did such a thing – at least he had never heard it – and the tone of his voice made Tsu'tey listen. "_After Sylwanin's death, you have become something I feared you would – a husk of a warrior._"

Tsu'tey's walls fell slightly at the sound of his past lover's name. He turned away from Eytukan. "_What choice did I have?_"

Eytukan looked at his warrior sadly. "_To move on. Sylwanin would have wanted you to._"

"_And go where?_"

"_Anywhere but here, Tsu'tey. This hole you've dug yourself into, you can get out of – if you try._" At this point, Tsu'tey really wished he had ear lids, so he could block out Eytukan's voice of reason. He got up from the seat, going over to the window sort of thing that was made by two branches going in different directions. Tsu'tey looked down to see Bree with Jake and Neytiri. Bree was watching on the sidelines as Neytiri practised with the claws with Jake again. "_I made you Bree's mentor to give you a sense of purpose. I think it will help you if you give her a chance._"

At that, Tsu'tey whirled around to Eytukan, biting back a snarl. He frowned, but not at Eytukan; at the situation. "_How can that girl help me?_"

Eytukan gave a shrug, and in that annoying way of answering a question with a question, he replied, "_How can she not?_"

**· · ·**

Bree was sitting quietly downstairs upon a fallen log the next day, brushing her fingers over the practice bow Tsu'tey had given her. Her body wasn't aching as much, but it was still painful. Tsu'tey was such an ass… She had half a mind to talk to Eytukan about giving her another mentor.

Bree's ears flickered as she heard footsteps, but she didn't turn around. She knew who it was without having to do so, she had spent so much time listening to them. Bree didn't make any recognition of Tsu'tey as he sat beside her. Tsu'tey would have usually revoked her for that, but today, he was quiet. After several drawn out moments, he finally said, "Something's bothering you, isn't it?" Bree didn't make a sound. "Would it be when I threw water on you?"

Finally, the Avatar turned to look at Tsu'tey. "Well… it wasn't very nice. But I'm mad at you for several other things."

Tsu'tey nodded slowly. "I know," he told her, his topaz eyes meeting hers. "But I'm mad at you too."

"For what?"

"For punching me."

"… Well, it did give you a nice look."

Tsu'tey rolled his eyes, and Bree turned back to her bow, smiling. Before she knew what was happening, Tsu'tey grabbed her, rubbing his fist into her hair. "Still think that black eye gave me a good look?" he asked with a smirk as he noogie-attacked her.

Bree gasped, trying to wriggle out of Tsu'tey's grasp. "No…! No, no, no!" At that, Tsu'tey released her, a genuine smile on his face.

"That's better," he told her gently. "Now, if you want me to teach you, you have to listen to me. You may think you know everything, and maybe you know more than I give you credit it for, but nevertheless, I am still higher, and you must listen. Can you do that?"

Bree nodded at him. "Yes. I can do that," she promised.

Tsu'tey studied her hard, his eyes going over her as if sizing her up. Finally satisfied, he gave her a sharp nod. "We'll start the day after."

Bree looked at him. "Why not tomorrow?"

"Take the day off, and recover," Tsu'tey smiled at her. She smiled back, until his smile turned into a smirk and he added, "You are sure as hell going to need it."


	14. Falling For You  Again

**Chapter Twelve | Falling For You. Again.**

"**Sorry ma'am… Do I know you?"**

**Bree folded her arms across her chest, as if blocking her breasts from view. She had a good reason for doing so. "Uh, yeah… You gave me a ride in your black Sedan once." When the man appeared confused, Bree continued, "You know. The one with the reclining leather seats…?"**

Since Tsu'tey had given Bree the day off, Grace took the chance to whisk them all away to Hell's Gate. Jake complained that he didn't have the luxury of the day off – he had work to do. But, Grace's charm and her death stares got her to wrap Jake the way she wanted. Well, the way Miles wanted. His threat hadn't been the worst one he had ever thrown at her, but it was bad enough. Also, she felt that if she spent too much time with the Na'vi, Miles would use that way of his to stop it, undoubtedly, and she didn't think she wanted to lose Eytukan again.

_Think._ She didn't think. It wasn't she didn't know – she didn't think. While her and Eytukan had their fun, with Miles' ways the past few weeks, she felt that pesky little one percent creep up. That one percent that she missed Miles. While he got to her, the times they had been together, he had been able to make Grace feel hot and loved and everything in between. Eytukan managed to do that, too, but it just wasn't quite the same. Every love was different, but Miles had this uncanny ability to make him stand out above the rest. Damn him.

"So, he asked you to go, and yet you're dragging us along, too?" Jake asked as he wheeled along the hallway in RDA, heading towards the control room. "Where is the justice in that, someone tell me, please."

"We're just here to make sure Miles doesn't do anything stupid, like he's inclined to do," Grace told her student, the door moving apart on their arrival. Parker and Miles were seated around the hologram map, both of them writing information they gleamed from it on their datapads. Miles looked up as his ex walked in, and a smirk danced upon his features.

"Well, well, well," he said, putting the pad down and leaning back in the chair. "If it isn't Grace and her entourage." Parker looked up at that, merely said hello in a tone that said he didn't want to be disturbed, and went back to his work.

Grace gritted her human teeth together, making it clear that she didn't enjoy being here. "Yes. Okay, you came, you saw us, now we can go."

Miles shook his head. "Oh, come on – RDA hasn't seen you lot in ages. You can surely stay for a bit longer. Hi Jake, hi Bree."

Jake greeted Miles accordingly, and Bree replied, "Hi Miles."

"Wow, no 'Uncle Miles'? That's a bit hurtful, Bree."

Bree looked at him, at Grace and then back. "Not quite appropriate anymore."

Miles nodded understandingly. "Fair enough. Oh by the way – Mandy?"

Grace mentally groaned. She forgot about this part of the deal. She betted Mandy was some floozy or something to that extent, with breast implants and a nose job that made her look like one of those Barbie doll Brazilian models.

She had hit it perfectly.

The click-clack sound of high heels came down the corridor, and Jake, Grace and Bree turned to greet the newcomer. Grace paled as she saw her. With vibrant red hair that went past her shoulders, easily a size-D cup, and a prominent figure and purposeful walk, Grace couldn't help but feel pale compared to her. But, it was her age that stunned Grace. She had thought Mandy was about her age, maybe a little younger. She was about twenty years Miles' junior. Bree made a face when she saw this woman, and quickly erased the image of Miles and her that came into her mind, followed by him and Grace… Seriously, what was his thing for red heads?

Mandy gave Grace a smile, and stretched out a perfectly manicured hand. "Hello Grace, I'm Mandy Klein."

Grace looked at the hand presented to her, and took it in her own to shake, forcing a smile. "Nice to meet you, Mandy. I've heard… much about you."

"Oh, likewise," she smiled, coming to wrap her arm around Miles protectively. Grace found it strange how she wanted to tell Mandy to get off Miles right now. What the hell was this? "Well, I'm sorry that you haven't seen Miles too much – work and I've been riding him hard."

Grace gave Mandy a very fake smile. "Well, if anyone can go the distance, he can. I should know." Mandy's smile wavered just a little. Jake and Bree looked at one another, and could both tell they were sharing the exact same thought. They were going to be here all day. Just brilliant.

"So, what do you do?" Grace asked Mandy as they sat down with Miles a few hours later for a drink. Everyone was still around them in the control room, but since they had slacked off, and Parker had left so he didn't tell them to get back to work, the atmosphere was pretty relaxed.

Mandy took a sip of the drink in a way that told Grace she was pretty accustomed to doing that, and replied, "I'm a reporter. I deliver news from Pandora to Earth."

'That explains the boob job,' Grace thought. She nodded and smiled before Mandy excused herself to get something. Grace turned to her ex. "Well, there. I met Mandy. Satisfied?"

Miles shrugged. "I suppose," he said. He leant forward to her, and Grace looked over his handsome features. Miles looked away from her as he heard the sounds of a game being played, and looked over to see that some of the crew had started a limbo contest. Oh, the joys of Parker not being around, and Miles relaxing for once. He smirked and turned back to his ex. "Why don't you join in? I know from personal experience on just how horizontal you can get," he said with a wink to solidify the innuendo.

Grace gave a sarcastic laugh. "Oh, don't you mean how horizontal I made you?" Unfortunately, just as Grace made that flirtatious comment, her niece came to sit down with them. She quickly got up again as she heard that, making a horribly disgusted face at that. "Jesus Christ, you two, stop talking!" she said, sounding like a child who had just walked in on their parents' coitus.

Miles brought his eyes up to his ex-niece's. He smirked at her, but Bree saw the evil glint in his hazel eyes. "Well then, we can talk about something else. Why not about how you got here?" Bree paled slightly, and her jaw set. She shot a death glare at Miles. She was no longer the little girl he used to give piggy-back rides, regale her with tales of his jobs, and who used to treat her like a daughter just as she treat him like a father. She had been quite on the fence about him once she saw how hurt Grace had been by him, but now that he knew her past and seemed not at all concerned about sharing it, hatred rose up like bile within her.

Grace, not noticing the non-verbal war between the two, asked innocently, "Yeah, Bree, I never truly heard that story. I know you didn't train to become an Avatar driver… what happened there?"

Bree looked at her aunt. "That's a story for another day," she said as she left. Grace looked after her, confused, but Miles brought her right back down to Earth, changing the topic entirely. "Come on Grace. You can't be serious with this Eytukan guy. He seems pretty… well, not your type, that's for sure, considering where he's from. What happened to the girl who used to squeal at the sight of a spider and had to have me come and squash the thing with my boot? Don't tell me you've started a Save the Spiders program."

Grace took her eyes off of Bree's leaving figure. She rolled her eyes and flipped her red hair back, thinking of how to wittily reply as she did. She looked at Miles afterwards. "All right, yes, Eytukan can be pretty even keeled. But that's good. He's pretty safe after you. An invisible viper wolf would be safer than you…"

"Well, at least with our relationship, it never got dull."

Grace nodded slowly. "Yeah… the moment you stomped on my heart and told me you were leaving me since I didn't spend time with you – I spent every weekend with you, Miles, and every night – was a real blast."

Miles groaned. "Oh, the leaving – I never hear the end of it." The colonel looked pretty genuine as he said, "Grace, I am sorry for leaving you high and dry like that. But come on, you can give me credit for a faithful eighteen years."

Grace rolled her eyes, and then her ears heard the clack-clack of the high heels once more, and Mandy came back. She looked at Miles. "Yeah… but that's not counting the Christmas party of 2144."

Grace's eyes came to Miles. She cleared her throat and then looked at Mandy. "Uh… what?"

Miles stiffened himself, and as Mandy took her place beside him, her arm elegantly draped over him, he sighed. "Mandy, don't – "

Mandy brushed it off with a laugh and a kiss to Miles' cheek. "Oh, what does it matter? Your relationship is dead anyway." With a look to Grace that made the scientist go rigid, Mandy told the story. "Well… it's kind of funny. As a joke, Parker I believe put up a bit of mistletoe in the corner of the control room, and Miles and I… we sort of drifted over there. After a while, we found ourselves under that mistletoe, and we were like, 'Oh, okay. So what do we do now?' And then I smiled, and then Miles smiled, and then he reached over and started feeling me up!" Mandy nudged Miles playfully, but he didn't respond as he looked at Grace's shattered expression.

"Grace, that's not how it happened…" Miles said, trying to cover up the truth.

Grace felt that horrible sense within her when you're about to fall off a cliff, or your at the edge of something really high. The feeling of when your stomach just drops, but instead, it was her heart. Her eyes seemed to be pierced with needles, and she felt that funny sense in her throat. She suppressed the urge to let a tear fall as she got up. But then, she remembered something that Miles had said to her before, and she turned to Mandy. "Oh, and by the way… Miles told me he was still in love with me." With that as her parting note, Grace left the couple as Mandy shot Miles a death glare.

As Grace's heart was stomped on for what seemed like the millionth time in her lifetime, Bree found herself wandering over to the Na'vi artefacts they had on display. There was an impressive bow in a glass case, and Bree read the card that said something about the bow being the most prized possession of a hunter, and it was given to them as a gift. What a load of horse shit, at least the end of it. They were right about it being the most prized possession of the hunter, and looking at the scratches that had been resined over and personal imprints that would have taken years to put on, it had clearly been loved; so why would one just give it so eagerly to the RDA to be displayed?

Bree felt a sinister edge as she knelt down to examine the bow a little more. Her thoughts were so focused on the story behind it, and her eyes were fixed upon the bow itself, that she didn't notice a man about Miles' age come on the opposite of the case. After a few moments, being polite, Bree brought her eyes from the bow, and gave the man a smile. He did the same to her. Bree's smile faded then, and she looked at him, as if sizing him up. The man looked back to her, and frowned, pulling away from the case and coming over to her. He was a Lieutenant, she could tell by his uniform, and as Bree looked at him, she noticed his hands. Those hands…

The man looked at her curiously. He felt like he had seen her somewhere. "Sorry ma'am… Do I know you?"

Bree folded her arms across her chest, as if blocking her breasts from view. She had a good reason for doing so. "Uh, yeah… You gave me a ride in your black Sedan once." When the man appeared confused, Bree continued, "You know. The one with the reclining leather seats…?" The lieutenant's eyes widened. He surveyed the young girl. He had been with his share of women, but he could remember that she had been pretty memorable. And considering who she was, that was a bad thing. He quickly marched off, knocking into Jake without an apology.

Jake groaned as his wheelchair got moved off course as the man scurried away. He frowned at the elder, saying quietly, "Watch it," and then turned to Bree. She looked sickly pale, and was shivering. Jake wheeled himself over to her. "Hey, you okay?" he asked, placing a friendly hand on Bree's arm. She flinched away, and Jake retracted his hand.

Bree's eyes looked at Jake apologetically. "Sorry. And no, I'm safe to say I'm not."

Jake frowned thoughtfully at her. "How do you know Lieutenant Avery?" he asked her.

The young woman nodded. "Yeah." She gave a half smile, but it held no happiness, only pain. "We… kind of 'hit' paths back on Earth."

Jake looked at Bree, and then leaned back slightly as he caught her meaning. He let out a low breath. "Good Lord…" He looked back to where the lieutenant had disappeared, and then back to Bree. "Lieutenant Avery?" he asked, disbelieving. "Are you sure? He's a very well respected member of the military."

Bree nodded. "Yeah… Well, they all were." In a low voice, she added, "It's kind of how I ended up here." She looked at her friend, into his apologetic brown eyes. Jake was a Marine, and though he generally didn't show emotion, or he tried not to, for Bree he had a soft spot. They sort of became a little family, with Grace being their mother, and they being siblings. That was why Bree trusted him with her dirty laundry. "Please don't tell Aunt Grace," she begged. She didn't want to disappoint her, or make her feel guilty as she knew would happen.

Jake looked at her, and patted her shoulder again; she didn't flinch this time. "I won't."

**· · ·**

The next morning, Grace was pretty pissed off. She didn't know how he managed it, but Miles managed to quash anything that she might have been feeling yesterday, and tear her heart again. When they saw Grace smoking, swearing, and basically being everything she used to be before Eytukan became her nicotine patch, Jake and Bree knew to stay out of the way.

But one person obviously didn't.

Just as she was about to link up, hoping that Eytukan would be able to cheer her up, Grace heard a knock at the shack door. "Ugh," she muttered, going over to take a mask and then open the air-lock door. Her expression turned to one of fury as she saw who it was, just casually leaning against the shack door. "Miles… I'm busy. Go away."

Miles' head turned to face Grace, a statue of Adonis coming to life. "I came to say I'm sorry."

Grace's expression wavered, and she stood back. "Well, then I'm not doing anything. Come in." Eytukan could wait five minutes, she was sure.

Miles followed Grace into the shack, both of them taking off their masks once the door was secure, and the outside air had no way to enter. Once inside, he looked at Grace. "I am actually sorry, Grace. I honestly thought I was done hurting you."

"I thought that, too," she replied, folding her arms across her chest. So that's where Bree got it from.

"Still, that gave you no right to tell Mandy about our little conversation."

Grace sighed and looked to the horizon. She moved past Miles to the kitchenette, just for something to do as she explained. "It's just… she got me so mad. We were engaged, Miles. We were going to be married in the fall, we were going to have kids here and… she pointed out you were a manwhore that whole time and she made it seem that our relationship was nothing compared to what you two are having."

Miles listened to Grace, and then gave a slight laugh. He came over to her. "Grace… I asked Mandy to marry me last night." Grace looked around to face Miles, her shock radiating off all of her body. She slowly looked down to the floor. "Grace?" Miles asked, when she seemed a bit spaced out.

Grace put her finger up to shush him. "… Just… just give me a moment, I am asking God and Eywa to kill me…"

Miles looked at Grace. "You jealous? Having feelings for me again?" he asked in that tone that made Grace know he was smirking without having to look up at him.

Grace didn't want to admit that he was right, and she sighed. "No," she said, bringing her head back up. She forced a small smile. "I'm happy for you. Maybe now you'll stop chasing after me."

"You know that will never happen. You're still my number one girl." Before Grace could protest, Miles placed a large kiss to her forehead, ruffled her red hair and then left.


	15. Hold My Hand To Keep Me Steady

**Yay, update again! I do fear I'm focusing a bit too much on Bree and Tsu'tey right now, and soon it will stop, I promise! And yes, that is them in my display picture in my profile – isn't it cute? Anyway, enjoy!**

**Chapter Fifteen | Hold My Hand to Keep Me Steady**

' **Bree frowned and looked at him. He gave her a smile and tucked her hair behind her ear, before gently placing the flower in her hair. For the second time today, Bree found herself blushing. '**

It was hard generally for something or someone to truly impress Tsu'tey. Sylwanin had had a rough few years as they were children, trying to live up to her friend's expectations, and Tsu'tey's warriors rarely got a tiny bit of praise for the work they did. It wasn't because Tsu'tey didn't care, it was just the bar was set high for everyone he came in contact with, so it was astonishing that this Bree girl hit all the points, or most of them. They fired arrows, and hers went further. They went swimming and she outdistanced him. He 'taught' her how to ride, and by the end of the day, she was quite a skilled rider, but she admitted later on that she used to take riding lessons outside of New York when she visited Grace's mother – her grandmother. Still, Tsu'tey was quite pleased to find when it came to those torturous running sessions every morning, he always made it back first, and when Bree finally trudged to the finish line, she was exhausted and coughing.

Bree panted as she reached Hometree, bending over, her hands on her knees. "I hate you…" she croaked to Tsu'tey, instead of 'I see you' to greet him. Her slender legs quivered and sweat ran down her body, which made her look like she had just engaged in some other physical activity. Even after two more weeks of this, she didn't feel like she was getting any better.

"I know you do," the reply came, as Tsu'tey came over to ruffle the young woman's hair. A small, bemused smile flickered at his lips, but Bree couldn't see it as her topaz eyes stared at the pattern of rocks on the ground. "But you are getting better at this. And it's good to see you're not perfect in every way."

"Perfect, my ass...," Bree asked, and Tsu'tey's eyes flickered to that part of her body for a moment before away. "You'll learn that quickly."

"How can I if you never tell me?" Tsu'tey pointed out. Despite his often withdrawn nature, Tsu'tey was a curious soul, and he had been probing Bree gently to try and get her to spill what had gone down with her on Earth. She always told him that it was a story for another day, and kept putting it off.

Bree rubbed her legs for a moment, before bending down and stretching, touching her fingers to her toes. "Its better you don't know," she replied swiftly, and before Tsu'tey could force her to explain, she stood back up. "So, what now?"

Tsu'tey arched an eye ridge. "Fast recovery."

The Avatar gave him a smile and a shrug. "I figure whatever else you want me to do will make me tired to the point I won't feel anything, so using logic, I might as well just give up on trying recovering."

She had a pretty valid point, but in all honesty, Tsu'tey himself was exhausted. She had worn him thoroughly out over the past few weeks. He really wondered how Neytiri coped with Jake. He wracked his brains for something to amuse her. "All right. Why don't you come with me on patrol? You will see more of the forest that way."

"Sure," she agreed, watching as Tsu'tey tilted his head to the forest.

"Wait ten minutes and then track me," he told her, before disappearing like a phantom into the depths of the forest he knew better than the back of his hand. Bree blinked spastically after he disappeared, and then wandered off to wait out those ten minutes like he told her.

Tsu'tey felt lenient and made it easy for her, pushing the bushes aside slightly, stepping a little harder into the ground to make the mark more obvious to her eyes. Still, by now Bree could distinguish his footprints, Eytukan's, Grace's, Neytiri's, Jake's and a few others from one another, and since he was heading in a way that not a lot of people went, she hopefully wouldn't have too hard a time finding him.

Even with Tsu'tey being glaringly obvious to her, Bree didn't think she'd have to hard a time really tracking something, as she found him a half hour later. He had moved quite deep into the forest quickly, she could tell as the growth got thicker and his footprints were quite far apart. As the forest became thinner, and his footprints grew closer, a triumphant smirk came over Bree. 'Got you,' she thought as she crept out towards the light. She paused at the border, a growl coming to her throat as she leapt out. "Found you!" she exclaimed, but then frowned as she looked around, not being able to see her friend. 'Where has he gotten to now?'

Bree paused then, her mind leaving of where Tsu'tey's whereabouts would be, as she took in the scenery around her. A maze of entwining tree trunks and vines, as well as hanging flowers that looked similar to chandeliers. Pools of water were nestled at periods through the vines on the floor, and Bree carefully stepped around them as she came towards a sizeable area of long grasses and ferns. A smile came over Bree as she looked around in awe at the place, her mind off on another world. So much so, that she wasn't even aware of another presence, until she felt that horrible feeling of her stomach being thrown forward, and her body following as she toppled into one of the small pools. It was small, and deep, similar to a paddle pool, but a soft, spongy moss stopped her from hurting herself. Bree coughed and shook herself up, looking up to see Tsu'tey hovering over her. "And that is why you pay attention to your surroundings," he teasingly scolded. Bree rolled her eyes at him, and Tsu'tey helped her up.

As she brushed herself off, she reminded him, "It's not my fault your planet is so interesting." Tsu'tey couldn't quite argue with that.

Bree followed Tsu'tey as he walked through the forest, her steps quite audible compared to her company's. "Feel the forest," Tsu'tey told her, "Be one with it."

Closing her eyes, Bree followed his advice, and Tsu'tey continued to walk forward. "Feel the forest, feel the forest," she chanted softly to herself, until Tsu'tey whirled around with a, "Bree!" Bree gave an 'oof' as her head hit a tree, and she felt the blood rushing to that point. She laughed, embarrassed, and rubbed her head with a palm. "Yeah… I felt it."

Tsu'tey gave a small laugh and continued to walk forwards. "I don't know how you were taught, but you can feel and watch at the same time, you know." Bree blushed slightly, her feline-like stripes becoming a bit more obvious on her features as she continued to follow her mentor, having to walk quicker to keep up with him. He led her through the forest, Bree not knowing whether to watch the surroundings or her feet to know whether she was about to trip. Tsu'tey led her out of the main Pandorian forest, onto a rocky cliff face. Tsu'tey cupped his mouth and gave a shrill call. Bree wondered who that was for when the sound of something beating the air came to her ears, and Tsu'tey's arms went protectively in front of her, pushing her back. Bree shrunk back as she saw a large, dragon-like creature landing in front of them. Bree was about to give a yell, when Tsu'tey's hand moved to her mouth to muffle the sound. "Don't frighten the ikran," he told her. Bree blinked and looked over the multi-coloured pterodactyl, looking at its large claws, its elongated tail which fanned out to a flattened end. Its wing-span was amazing, and it put them up defensively, as if letting Bree study it.

Tsu'tey took his hand off of Bree's mouth, and looked to see her mouth open. He placed his fingers under her chin and gently shut it, before coming over to the ikran. "This is my ikran," he told her. "I often let her go and fly by herself these days, since I don't have the chance." At Tsu'tey's touch, the ikran immediately relaxed, closing its eyes as her owner soothed her. Tsu'tey smiled at the creature.

"What's her name?" Bree asked.

Tsu'tey had to pause. "I never gave her one," he admitted after a while.

"I think she needs a name," Bree smiled. "Like Bree." Tsu'tey laughed.

"Sure, because that is just what I need when I ride her – I have to think of you and your annoying ways." Tsu'tey earned a slight elbow for that.

Bree inspected the creature, but as she came a little closer, the ikran gave a squawk and backed up slightly. "She's not too fond of strangers," Tsu'tey apologized to Bree, stroking the muzzle of the creature, until her neck slackened and she calmed down.

"Too bad. Since you couldn't ride her, I was going to suggest I could for you."

Tsu'tey smiled at the Avatar, and gently shook his head. "You can't, I'm sorry." When Bree appeared confused, Tsu'tey continued, "Only one person can ride one ikran. They are not like the Pa'li – they aren't communal. But, you will get your own soon."

Bree's ears flickered at that, and a smile appeared on her face. "When?"

"When you are ready, or when I deem you ready," Tsu'tey told her. When Bree's face fell, he laughed. "You are almost there, do not fret."

"With you as my mentor, I see myself as your student for the rest of my time here."

Tsu'tey smiled and petted the ikran again before it gave a rumble in its throat, and then took off. "Your time is close, believe me," he told her before turning away. "Jake will be becoming a member of the clan soon. And you will follow."

A nod of understanding, and then it went back to following Tsu'tey through the forest. Bree was intrigued by every plant, every creature. Tsu'tey watched with a thoughtful smile as she bent down to the forest floor, helping a squirrel-like animal away from a plant that had trapped its tail. 'She's learning well,' he thought to himself.

It slowly started to turn to evening, the sounds of night dwellers hitting their ears, the purple-hued sky bringing out their body bio-lights. Tsu'tey watched as Bree glowed, watching her kneel on the ground, her gentle fingers caressing a white flower. 'She is so much like her,' Tsu'tey thought to himself. The warrior stepped forward and gently plucked it from the ground, feeling a little guilty as he did so. He whispered something in Na'vi, a prayer; Bree frowned and looked at him. He gave her a smile and tucked her hair behind her ear, before gently placing the flower in her hair. For the second time today, Bree found herself blushing.

They slowly came towards Hometree as it turned dark, just before dinner. It had been a pretty lazy day, so they both weren't too tired. Tsu'tey gave Bree a smile, watching her as she looked around. Since they both seemed to be in a good mood after the relaxing day, Tsu'tey decided to take advantage of it. "What happened to you on Earth, Bree?"

Bree's smile faded altogether, and she looked away from him. Tsu'tey felt bad, and was about to take it back, when she said, "I never had a father. And my mother didn't really want me, but she couldn't have an abortion, which is what they do when a mother kills the baby while she's still pregnant. She looked after me for a while, and my name was Bree Palmer.

"When I was around six, she was arrested for… well, I don't know, and I don't want to know. Aunt Grace took me in, and she changed her name from Shipley to Augustine, and changed my name as well, so no one would link me to my mother. … After a few years, she too, left. I remember I was so mad at her, I didn't want her to leave…" Tsu'tey's ears went down slightly as Bree looked down, a tear leaking out of her eye slightly. "But she did, leaving me. I was kind of tossed around from family member to family member, and just as I started to think, 'Wow, this is my family'… They'd have a disease, or couldn't afford my school fees… Same old story, and I ended up on the streets, barely making it through school, and then university… And then I had to… do some things that I wasn't proud of to survive. And one of the men I met through that asked me to be his… 'entertainment' while he was on Pandora. He pulled some strings and got me here, but he disappeared, so I arrived here alone. I found Aunt Grace, and, well you know the rest…"

Tsu'tey didn't know whether he should feel happy for satisfying his curiosity, or feel bad for asking. He came over to her, placing his strong hand on her shoulder, which caused her to look up. Calloused fingers, yet gentle, stroked Bree's cheek gently, brushing her tear away. Bree felt a warmth on her cheek after his fingers left. "There, there… It's all right." He gave her a smile. "But it's better now, right? You are here… with us."

Bree gave him a brave smile and nodded. "Right…" Tsu'tey gave her a smile and she stood up, his tail flicking in content. It was a little contagious, and soon the Avatar was mimicking him. Bree looked at her tail, and, as if being a dog, she spun around, trying to catch it. Within a couple of moments, she spun around to look at Tsu'tey, her tail neatly in her mouth, a cute smile on her face.

Tsu'tey looked at her strangely; he'd never see anyone do that. "Wow… that is so weird. How did you do that?"

Bree smirked and took her tuft out of her mouth, but kept it near her face, brushing her cheek with it in a way that made her look so sexy. Tsu'tey shivered slightly as he looked at her, but she didn't pick it up. "Talent," she purred.

Tsu'tey chuckled and looked at his own tail. "Let me try…" he said, under determination that he could do it too. Bree though, had the added advantage of having a longer tail than he did. Tsu'tey copied her movement, trying to chase his tail, but as his feet moved around, one crossed in front of the other, causing him to trip and fall on the green forest floor, amongst the glowing flowers.

Bree gave a side-splitting laugh, coming over to him. "Oh, that was _smooth_, warrior," she teased, getting on her hands and knees to look at her mentor. She smirked at him. "You really need some training."

"Oh, yeah?" Tsu'tey growled at her, a smirk coming to his features as he lunged at her playfully, causing her to laugh as he brought her to the floor. He gently nipped at her ear, as she teasingly batted at his nose.

"_Ahem_," a voice came, which caused both Tsu'tey to look up and Bree to turn her head around. Bree's eyes traveled up someone's leg, until she found herself looking into the princess' eye.

Tsu'tey quickly let go of Bree's ear and hopped off of her, gently pushing her to the side. Bree frowned at him. "_Um… What are you doing here, Neytiri?_" he asked his betrothed, the lightheartedness he had had with Bree abruptly disappearing.

Neytiri's eyes flickered from Tsu'tey to Bree. "_I just came to tell you dinner is ready… But I see you are otherwise engaged._" The double meaning from her brought a slight growl to Tsu'tey's throat. 'We weren't doing anything!' he wanted to say, but as he thought about what Neytiri would have seen, he kept quiet. Neytiri gave them a final look before leaving them be.

Tsu'tey let out a sigh and then turned his eyes to Bree. He got up, and then helped her up in turn. "Come on. Dinner is waiting for us," he told her.

Bree felt Tsu'tey's hand clasp around her wrist, pulling her to her feet. She shivered at the electric spark that she felt as he did. "Thanks," she told him. As they walked up to the dining room, Bree decided to break the awkward silence that was hovering over them. "I'm sorry."

Tsu'tey was surprised. He turned to her, stopping in his tracks. "Whatever for, Bree?"

Bree gave a shrug. "About everything. The punch, mainly." Tsu'tey did wonder if she would ever let that go. Then again, he did wonder if he would ever properly let it go. "And everything I said to you before that happened. It was wrong of me and I shouldn't have."

Tsu'tey's eyes turned soft as he looked at his friend, and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I think you're ready," he smiled, taking her elbow gently to steer her to the dining room with him.


	16. Just Staring At the Sky

**Hehe, finally got up to this! I hope you enjoy it. Please do review. Also, sorry for the sex scene. I have some very perverted readers, I found out… No names mentioned. You know who you are. If you really can't stand it (I suggest you try and read it, since it will prepare you for a few chapters on), just go to the three dots, and read from 'Grace smiled at him, bringing his head up to kiss his lips gently'. You'll be fine then!**

**Chapter Sixteen | Just Staring At the Sky**

' **Her fingers scraped along the floor as she tried to grab a hold before she went off the cliff face. Tsu'tey gasped as Bree toppled over the edge, and out of his sight. "**_**Bree**_**!" he yelled, running over, his heart in his mouth as he did. '**

"_You're awfully quiet today, Gracie._" Grace was broken from her reverie as her love spoke to her. She hadn't really been aware she had drifted off; off in la la land, she had been. She had been meant to help Eytukan with his scripture work, and by 'help', she meant 'screw up' unintentionally. Traditional Na'vi was testing, and even though Eytukan had offered countless times to teach her, she could never make it stick. One type of Na'vi was hard enough.

Grace sat beside Eytukan in his room, at the desk he had over on a ledge in the corner. Light from the window-like branch streamed in, heating up Grace's skin in an annoying manner. She took that as an excuse to move closer to him, and rest her weary head upon his arm. "_Sorry,_" she apologised in Na'vi. "_I know I'm not the best company today._"

Eytukan gave her a tender smile, and beckoned her over to him. Grace stood up, thinking he wanted her to address him properly, which would have been strange for him, but he merely wrapped his arm around her and pulled her onto his lap. "_You always are the best company – I wouldn't want anyone else_," he purred in her ear softly, moving his lips to her neck gently. "_But is something on your mind?_"

Several things, actually. Grace leant her head to the side, so Eytukan had better access to her neck. "_Oh, I was just wondering when Mo'at would be back…_" The kisses promptly stopped. "_Since, you know, she's been away for just over a month now._"

Eytukan exhaled in exasperation, and brought his lips away from her neck. "_Grace, must you bring her up when I'm kissing you?_" Grace turned her head around to smile at him apologetically. "_I received word from her a few days ago. She won't be coming back for a little while longer._"

"_Well, thanks for telling me._"

It was now Eytukan's turn to smile apologetically. He kissed her lips softly, before moving back to her neck. "_I'm sorry, sweetheart. Forgive me?_" he asked with a purr.

"_I can never stay mad at you._" Grace smirked seductively at him, closing her eyes and purring herself as Eytukan lavished attention on her. "_Trying to get something, are you?_"

"_Is it working?_" Grace's smirk grew and she responded by turning around to press a passionate kiss to his lips, making Eytukan close his eyes. Her tongue traced over his, gently exploring the lips she knew so well. His hands caressed the side of her body, trailing slowly down the smooth curve of her hips. He undid her shorts with quite a bit of ease, which surprised Grace. He usually had a bit more trouble with that bit, and who could blame him? Zips weren't part of the fashion for the Na'vi. She looked at him. "_Finally figured out how to properly work a zip, did you?_" she teased him.

That broke the mounting sexual tension. Eytukan opened his eyes, laughing. "_We've been going at this for six years, and we do this almost every night – if I haven't figured it out, I'm concerned._" It was Grace's turn to laugh, and she leaned in again to catch his lips back in a kiss. Eytukan went back to undoing her shorts, and she helped him by kicking them off, which was a bit of a feat with how she was straddling him. Eytukan ran his hands back up to her torso, running his four fingers along the hem of her fitting shirt, and Grace lifted her arms to help him, feeling a bit like a child as he undressed her in such a way. Eytukan's eyes drifted down to see the human styled underwear Grace wore, letting his eyes fill with the sight. It was similar in some way to what the Na'vi wore – it was more fitting than the first layer of Grace's clothing. He cupped her breast slightly, and curiously asked, "_If you humans have this sort of clothing, why don't you just wear this around the clan?_"

Grace could see where he was coming from. She smirked and ran her tongue over his lips. "_I can't do that_," Grace began in that husky voice of hers. "_Not with the effect it has on you…_" She ran her fingers over his loin cloth for effect, making him shiver.

"_Fair point._" Eytukan smirked and then grabbed her shoulders, making her gasp as he pulled them both down to the floor. He moved his lips to her neck, making her emit a soft moan of pleasure. Grace trailed her own hand down his body, coming to undo the knot to take off his cloth. Her tail entwined with his gently, and Eytukan looked down at her, into those deep topaz eyes he adored. He knew what she wanted. With that, he pushed into her, making her gasp and moan. Her tail tightened on his as he thrust into her, and she felt the pressing sensation as he did. She wrapped her legs around him to pull him into her, and within a few minutes, the tension reached its peak, and both of them cried out in pleasure, Grace's tail slackening from his. Eytukan rested his head on her breast, spent. Once she caught her breath, Grace leant up to press a kiss to his head. Eytukan smiled at her and then pulled away. "_I must be getting heavy on you,_" he explained, pulling himself up to support himself by his arm, so he was hovering over her.

"_No_," she said softly. "_You're not heavy at all._" She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him back down to her. Eytukan nuzzled his face into her breasts softly, and she gently brushed his arm with her fingers. She paused then, her hand stopping its movement on him. "_Don't you have a clan to run?_"

"_They can survive without me for a bit,_" Eytukan told his girlfriend. "_I just want to spend time with you._"

Grace smiled at him, bringing his head up to kiss his lips gently. "_What if Tsu'tey walks in?_" He had been known to casually stroll into Eytukan's office cum bedroom, but then again, after accidentally walking in on the two of them before, he might not now. He'd better not.

Eytukan shook his head. "_He won't. He's at the inkimaya._"

A frown creased Grace's features, and she looked up at Eytukan above her. The _inkimaya _was where all young hunters went to select their _ikrans_. Tsu'tey was one already, in fact he was the boss of all of them, so why was he over there? "_Um… why, exactly?_"

Eytukan looked at her with an expression of shock. "_Well, I assumed… didn't Bree and Jake tell you?_"

"… _Tell me what?_"

**· · ·**

"Whoa!" Came a gasp from Bree as rocks slipped under her feet, cascading down into the forest far below them. Lightning reflexes let Tsu'tey shoot his arm out to snatch his friend before she toppled to her untimely demise. Bree gave a huff and brushed herself off. "Thanks, Tsu'tey." She peered slightly over the edge of the rock, and saw a sea of bumpy green spheres that were the tops of trees, causing a shiver to run down her spine at the thought of what could have happened.

Tsu'tey nodded at Bree, his eyes showing relief that she didn't fall off. His hand was still clasped firmly on her own, though. "You are welcome." He cast his eyes back to the others. "Go near the edge at your own risk." Bree's eyes turned to him as he patted her hand and then walked towards the other side of the cove in the cliff, checking out the surroundings.

"Believe me, Tsu'tey, I am not trying," Adaman replied simply as he kept his eyes forward, but at the same time tried to pay attention to his feet. He wasn't cut out for this sort of stuff. He didn't know why he was here, following all these young people. He preferred being on stable, flat ground. When they had been young, and doing this themselves, Eytukan had been the one practically dragging Adaman all the way up the inkimaya to obtain his ikran. Eytukan had been the one to push Adaman out of his comfort zone and onto the back of one of those creatures, which he was thankful for. But why the hell did he have to do it again? Eytukan had asked him to go and help keep an eye on the young warriors, particularly Bree and Jake – he didn't want any accidents, and if there must be, he wanted the medic on the scene. Adaman was ready to kill him.

A rough chuckle came from the second Avatar, Jake, as he looked at the head healer. "It's not so bad, Adaman," he told the quaking elder. Jake stayed back, panting from the exertion of reaching the top, but craned his neck slightly to peer past the rocky cliff, watching with interest as the water from the waterfall fell over the rocks, and, instead of crashing into a pool below, merely turned into a mist that seemed to keep that area of the forest a little bit cooler. Jake was still admiring the view when he heard a familiar call, and the entire group turned their eyes to the sky to see an ikran coming in to land. Bree grabbed Jake back as the creature and rider landed, with the slight frame of Neytiri slipping off the creature's back. A smile brightened up Jake's face at the sight of his mentor, and he gave her a small bow in greeting. Neytiri returned with a smile.

At his fiancée's landing, Tsu'tey turned back to greet Neytiri with an, 'I see you'. She barely gave him any recognition; he cast a frown in her direction, before turning to Jake. "Jakesully, you may go first," he smiled at him. Jake caught the devious glint in his so-called friend's eye, and gave a scoff before moving off to the edge of the cliff, towards the ikran herd. Neytiri gave Tsu'tey a dirty look as she followed Jake, her feet surefooted enough to keep her steady so she didn't fall off the slippery rocks.

Adaman watched as his niece went off with Jake, and then turned to Bree. He gave her a smile. "You look a little nervous – you all right?" he questioned.

A roll of the eyes came from Bree in response. "Yeah… I'm fine," she told him, and Adaman gave a chuckle.

"You will be fine when you're out there. Just make sure the ikran doesn't lunge at your neck, and you will be great." Bree blinked a little bit at that.

"Adaman, stop freaking Bree out – that's my job," Tsu'tey jokingly chastised Adaman, making the healer put his hands up and walk away. Tsu'tey turned his head to the young woman, and looked at her. He gently put his fingers under her chin to bring her gaze up to his. "You will be fine."

Bree gave a small laugh. "Tsu'tey… how can you be so sure?"

"Well, you were trained by me – that ought to help you." Bree smiled at him. "Do you have your rope?" Bree held up her hand, showing the thick piece of twine Tsu'tey had given her the day before. He nodded his approval, before turning his head to watch Jake wrestle with his ikran. He wasn't doing too badly, Tsu'tey had to admit. He silently offered a prayer to Eywa, asking her to protect Bree. He may have trained her, but there was no harm in asking for a little help, was there?

Why was she so nervous? Bree thought she'd be terribly excited for this moment, but inside, her stomach was knotted a million times over. She felt like a child, about to step out on the stage for their first recital, and terrified that she might forget something. What if she went out there, and had a horrible mental blank of all of Tsu'tey's teachings? Bree was numb, and she barely felt Tsu'tey's warm hand clasp over her shoulder, and barely heard him whisper, "It's time." She was snapped out of her reverie, and looked over to see Jake and Neytiri had taken off with their ikrans already. What had she just been looking at? She didn't even know.

Adaman gave Bree a smile. He patted her other shoulder gently, like a protective uncle. Considering how close he was to Grace, he probably could be counted as one. "You will be great. You're Grace's niece, and that is how you know you will not fail."

She knew he was trying to give her encouragement, but she gave him a slight frown. "What are you, an afterschool special?" she half snapped, her nervousness causing her to be a little bitchy. She knew she got that trait from her aunt. Adaman backed off once again. Tsu'tey tapped her shoulder, and she walked forward, turning to the side as she balanced along the thin ridge of rock. She was so focused on the task ahead she barely registered Tsu'tey's voice. "Now you will choose your ikran… Move fast like I showed… You will have one chance, Brianne."

Bree's mouth was dry, but she managed to ask her mentor, "How will I know if one of those things chooses me?"

"He will try to kill you."

"Outstanding…" Tsu'tey let out a slow breath and watched as his student crept forward towards the already half-pissed off flock. He questioned himself if sending Jake into the line of fire first was the best idea he'd had – now Bree had to deal with the last remaining ones. And they did not look happy.

Bree flicked the rope into a proper position in her hand, her topaz eyes scanning the remaining flock. Several of the ikran looked toward her, and she headed towards them, but they just took to the air. Tsu'tey felt his heart sink for Bree as he watched her try ikran after ikran, but also found himself feeling a sense of relief. He'd rather her not 'graduate' to the clan than to have her lose her life. Bree felt embarrassed, as she knew Tsu'tey, Adaman and the other young trainees were scrutinising her. She was quite disheartened, but felt a renewed surge of hope as Tsu'tey called out, "Keep trying, Bree!" Bree looked around the area, hoping some beam of light would come from the heavens and point her in the direction of her fated ikran. It didn't work like that. Bree was really about to just give up, something she never did, but after half an hour, it got a little bit insane. Perhaps her ikran had already taken off when Jake had gone? As she began to turn back, she heard a soft growl behind her. She turned around to see a blue and indigo-hued ikran baring its black fangs at Bree. Her ears flickered as she looked at the dragon-like animal, and she smirked, flicking her rope slightly. Before the ikran could register what was happening, Bree lunged at the animal, throwing the rope so it entwined tightly around the creature's jaws, snapping it shut, before jumping onto its back. Angered, the ikran began to buck, trying to get rid of the annoying makeshift bridle, and the full grown female Na'vi on its back. Just as Bree reached up to try and grab the antenna, the ikran sensed the weakened hold, and threw its back up violently, straining against the rope, snapping it, and causing Bree to yelp as she was thrown off the ikran, skidding along the slippery floor. Her fingers scraped along the floor as she tried to grab a hold before she went off the cliff face. Tsu'tey gasped as Bree toppled over the edge, and out of his sight. "_Bree!_" he yelled, running over, his heart in his mouth as he did. He had never felt so relieved in his life as he saw her hands clinging onto a root protruding out of the rock. He grabbed her hands and yanked her up, pushing her back towards the ikran once she was on her feet. Bree ran back to the ikran, ignoring her cuts and bruises as she tried to dodge the ikran's sharp teeth, and grab her queue quickly to bond with it. She thought smartly before lunging upon it – distract it. That's what she had to do! She looked at the dirt beneath her feet, and flicked her foot through it, causing the ikran to squawk as it was hit with a spray of dirt in the eye.

With her opponent temporarily blinded, Bree threw herself back to the ikran, grabbing the antenna to let the tendrils of her queue join into the ikran. The ikran's irises widened as she felt the force of the bond, and suddenly she felt weak, her wings going a bit floppy as she shook herself off. Bree was exhausted, but she smiled at the ikran. "That's it… you're mine."

Tsu'tey smiled at Bree, coming over to her and ikran. He stroked the muzzle of it, before looking at Bree, who was sitting comfortably on her. "The first flight seals the bond… Just think 'fly'. Come on!" Before she could protest, Tsu'tey guided her and the ikran to the edge of the cliff, before setting them off. Bree yelled as the ikran nosedived, and she held on for dear life. The ikran seemed to have a mind of her own as she took off, with no real sense of where it was going. Tsu'tey told her when they had begun riding pa'li's that the bond could be heard through the mind, but she had had to speak out what she wanted initially, until the bond was truly sealed. "Fly straight!" Bree commanded the creature, trying to shake it sane. At her voice, the ikran calmed down, her wings not moving as fast as they had been, taking on a more relaxed state. Bree breathed, now not afraid of falling off and dying.

Tsu'tey watched Bree with a sense of pride as she steered her ikran so well. His eyes followed every move she and her ikran made, and he wasn't even aware Adaman came up behind him. The healer watched the young Avatar flew, and then looked at Tsu'tey. He slapped him on the back, causing Tsu'tey to jump. Adaman chuckled as he surprised the head warrior. What was this hold Bree had on him? "_What are you waiting for? Go after her!"_  
The warrior whirled around to Adaman, and looked back at the other warriors he had meant to be watching. "_But… what about them?_"

Adaman gave a huff. "_I'll watch them. Now go before I change my mind!_" Tsu'tey laughed, something Adaman hadn't heard in a long time, before he went to call out for his ikran.

Bree was enjoying the flight before she heard a familiar call, turning her head to see Tsu'tey fly over beside her. She smiled widely at him. "Hey!" He gave her a salute, making her laugh, as he flew around with her for a little while. They didn't run into Jake and Neytiri – they were obviously off somewhere else. Tsu'tey wanted to talk to Bree, but she wouldn't be able to hear him over the whip of the wind. Besides, she was too mesmerized by the scenery that was around them. If Tsu'tey had looked a little closer, he might have seen that she was looking at him.

After a little while, Tsu'tey got Bree's attention and gestured to a small floating mountain, guiding them down to land. Bree was breathless from the ride, and horribly excited. Tsu'tey couldn't help but laugh as she recounted everything that had happened that had happened that day. He didn't care that he had been there that entire time, or that he had seen everything that had happened to Bree – he just liked hearing her voice. As their ikrans rested, Bree's one with her head upon Tsu'tey's companion's neck, their riders both lay down on the grassy ground of this particular rock, staring at the sky. Bree watched as twilight fell around them, causing her to gasp at the attractiveness of it. "It's beautiful."

Tsu'tey looked at her, and then followed her gaze to the sky. "Definitely is," he agreed. "Do you have such sights back on Earth?"

"Well… no," she admitted, causing him to bring his gaze to her. "We have a brown sky in the morning, and a black sky at night – effectively no in between. We don't have clouds, we can't see stars… We don't have trees."

He looked at Bree, propping himself up on his elbow. "No _trees_? Your planet has no trees?" he asked in absolute shock.

"That's right."

Tsu'tey let that sink in. How did they survive? How did they live? "Eywa. When Grace told me as a teenager that Earth didn't have wild animals anymore, I didn't believe her, but..."

Bree sighed. She sat up, bringing her knees up to her chest. "What she told you is all true." Her voice dropped in volume as she murmured, "I don't want to leave here."

Tsu'tey's ears went back as he saw his friend so sad. He didn't want her to leave here, either. He smiled at her. "Bree… look at me." The moment she brought her gaze to his, he placed his fingers under her chin. "I won't let them take you back. I promise you that."

She gave a weak laugh. "How the hell can you promise something like that?"

"I just will." He pulled her in for a hug, and she gave a smile, snuggling in slightly. "You did a good job today, Bree. I'm very proud of you."

Bree looked up at him. She gave him a smile, looking into his deep, sun-kissed eyes. "Thank you. And thank you for teaching me."

Tsu'tey smiled, before it faded. "I hate to break it to you – we are not done yet."

"Oh? You have more to teach me?"

"Much more."


	17. Here Comes The Wife

**I was really looking forward to the final scene of this chapter. I've had this chapter in my mind for over six months, and I finally got to write it – squee! So, with this chapter in place, I can now say we have maybe… six, seven more chapters to go? I am humming and harring on a sequel. I have some really cute but kind of clichéd ideas, so I'd have to work on it before anything happens.**

**I must apologise if there are any typos or anything – if you catch any, you will get to win some prize that doesn't actually exist! My keyboard has been off the fritz today, which made this chapter – unfortunately the longest chapter – very hard to write. But I'm glad I did! Enjoy!**

**Chapter Seventeen | Here Comes the Wife**

' "_**Are you all right?**_**" he asked her, and Grace was about to give a reply when she froze. Eytukan frowned at her, wondering what had come over her, and then turned around to see where she was looking. He stiffened up, all smiles disappearing from his face. "**_**Mo'at.**_**" '**

Once upon a time, Adaman took every opportune moment to spend time with Eytukan. They'd been best friends since they were eight, and now they were quite a few decades older than that. It was the longest friendship either of them had had, unless Mo'at was counted, and these days she was not. "_I win_," Adaman announced as he moved a coloured piece into its slot on the board they had been playing. He often found himself in the medical centre doing such things when the day was quiet, and today Eytukan had come to keep him company. He was very silent, spaced out company however.

Eytukan looked down at the table, looking at the coloured squares, before bringing his gaze to his friend. "_Oh, we were playing this?_"

The medic gave a huff. "_Please do not tell me your thoughts of Grace were distracting you. That is so much for sixteen year olds, and I hate to break it to you, you are not that age anymore._"

Adaman received a hit on the head for that. "_Very funny,_" Eytukan growled at him. "_No, I was thinking instead of what's going to happen when Mo'at returns._"

"_Gotten used to living without her, huh?_"

"_Yes._" Adaman looked at Eytukan in concern when he said that. Eytukan gave a sigh, putting the pieces he had been about to put into the board down, as if he were throwing in the towel. "_I don't know, Adaman. I really don't know anymore._"

"_I thought you didn't love Grace? You told me that about two weeks ago?_" Adaman probed, moving in to clean up the board as they spoke.

Eytukan stared down at the wood on the table. He figured that was easier than looking Adaman in the eye. "_Well… that wasn't exactly true._"  
"_You lied to me?_" How had Adaman not picked up on that?

"_What else was I supposed to do? I knew I could trust you, but at the same time I guess I just worried. While you might not tell, you could accidentally let it out in some way_." When Adaman gave Eytukan a frown, he continued. "_When Grace left the clan over a year ago, as she left, and it was just us two amongst a sea of people… she told me she loved me. And I just ignored it. I'd never seen her so upset when I turned away, as if she were invisible. But I wanted to say that I loved her too, and…_"

Adaman nodded, picking up the board and getting up to shelf it behind his desk. "_Look, you have to think logically here. What about the clan? You and I have been fighting for over thirty years to keep it from going under, and this slip up of yours could cost us it all._"

Eytukan gave a slow nod, bringing his gaze up to Adaman as he came back down to sit. "_I won't be leader for much longer, though._"

"_All right. But what about Neytiri? Have you thought about her in this whole process?_"

"_But of course!_" Eytukan countered. He thought for a moment to line up his arguments clearly in his head, before speaking out to his friend. "_But she's eighteen. She and Tsu'tey will marry, and they will take after us. What happens after that with Mo'at and I is no longer the clan's concern._"

Adaman shook his head, before looking up at the ceiling. "_Eywa, please cause this part of the ceiling to crash upon and kill me so I don't have to deal with this psychopath._" Eytukan gave a small laugh at Adaman's antics as he brought his eyes back down to his friend. He had to ask the next question; it had been weighing heavily on his mind for the past few days. "_Do you really think Tsu'tey would marry Neytiri now?_"

"_Why wouldn't he?_"

Adaman paused for a moment. He'd been there at the ikran ceremony. The look in Bree's eyes, the way Tsu'tey brushed her cheek, the way they laughed together… "_Yeah. You're right. They'll be happy together_." For the first time in his life, Adaman wished Eytukan and he weren't closer, for fear of him picking up on a lie.

**· · ·**

The sound of the stampeding herd drowned out all other noise in Bree's ears. Gigantic hump-backed shoulders, tapering to narrow flanks behind, seemed a lot to support the small heads bearing enormous black horns of the matured animals. The rangy, sweaty smell of the close-packed creatures assaulted her nostrils, and she knew that if she were on the ground right now, she would feel the earth vibrating with the movement of thousands of hooves as they tried to escape down the narrow passage.

"_Come on, Ilie_," she encouraged her new ikran through the bond as they flew over the herd, watching the warriors that interspersed themselves with the galloping herd. She watched one brave warrior gallop his horse towards a young doe. Even though it was young, she was large. The armour placed strategically along her back made sure that any predator would have a hard time trying to weaken her. The male seemed to know what he was doing, as he shifted his spear more in his hand, ready to strike. Before he could throw it, the doe veered violently to the side, causing the pa'li to rear up on its hind legs before crashing to the slippery floor below, the mud churned up from the stampede. The rider was thrown off with a yell, sliding across the ground and to the side of the herd. At least he was out of the danger zone.

Bree watched as the warriors fired arrows and threw spears, but to no avail. The armour was so strong that the weapons were just reflected. How did they do it? Through the eye? She speculated at the tiny eye, and figured that that wouldn't do too much damage, unless the spear went right through the tissue and into the brain. Even so, it was a long shot.

She hadn't even realised she hadn't really been moving until she heard, "Bree! Get your head in the game!" Bree whipped around to see Tsu'tey fly over her. She felt the need to follow him, but thought better of it when she saw his focus. She knew that look of concentration he had, and she didn't want to be the one to break it.

Tsu'tey guided his ikran over the herd, his practiced eye scanning the creatures, deeming which was too strong, and which was too weak. He sent his ikran down for a nosedive, aiming for a young doe which seemed to be struggling. Froth came from the creature's mouth as she ran. If Tsu'tey didn't get her, someone or something else would. He expertly balanced his bow on the ikran's shoulder, drawing the string back with one hand. The arrow zoomed out with a 'twang', biting into the larger breathing hole the doe had on the side of her neck. The creature toppled head over heels, falling to the floor, its head hitting at an awkward angle so that one of the horns were snapped off in a greenstick break.

"Goddamn, he's good," Bree murmured to herself. There was a reason Tsu'tey was the best warrior, and though she had punched him, he still continued to amaze her with the way he proved himself other times. At least she had the concept now. Bree looked around the herd, and it caught her eye as Jake himself guided his ikran down into a dive. She had to get herself over there. The sickly or weak ones often spread themselves out for better protection, but sometimes there were a few others nearby.

Jake was just about to draw his bow when his ikran gave a squawk. He lost his focus and turned around, seeing Bree right on his tail. He blinked spastically. How did he not notice her before? "Sis, what are you doing?"

Bree chuckled. "Measuring up to my brother," she joked as she made her ikran dive. Jake scowled at her. 'Oh, no you don't,' he thought as he sent his ikran after her. Bree had lost sight of the creature they had both been tailing. To be honest, that was the point. Jake was going to kill her afterwards. Bree went off in another direction, and Jake didn't bother to follow her as he spied another weakened animal. Perfect. Just as Tsu'tey had, he drew his own bow, and let it sing out over the herd, before it pierced the side of another creature, causing it to go down.

"_Shit,_" Tsu'tey muttered under his breath. He looked out for his own student, trying to spy her and her ikran. His eyes widened as he saw her near the front of the herd, and which one she was tailing. "Bree, no! That's a buck, get out of there!"

Of course, Bree was too far ahead to listen, not to mention too stubborn. She came towards the large creature, and had to get rid of her inner turmoil as she looked at the intimidating animal. She hadn't actually realised how large this thing was until now, as she got so much closer. This one seemed to have unlimited armour, and she couldn't spy the breathing hole. She would have to make at least the first telling wound to be credited with the kill. But what if she missed? That thing would turn around and kill her quickly.

Tsu'tey sent his ikran after her. Was she insane? What was he saying, of course she was. No first hunter went after a buck like that. Not even he did. He had thought of it, sure, to impress Eytukan, and at the time, his father, but he hadn't just gone off like that! "Bree, get back here!" he yelled, but his voice was carried away by the wind.

Bree held a look of concentration through her visor, making note of the creature's movements. She urged her ikran faster, but there wasn't too much need – the bull was tiring quickly. 'Help me, Eywa,' she begged as she got ready. She quickly shifted her arrow, finding the spot she was looking for. She drew back the arrow, and let it fly.

Tsu'tey watched, his heart rate sky high as the arrow flew in, hitting the creature in the direct spot. Bree got ready to fire another arrow, but there was no need. The arrow had gone perfectly in, scraping the outside rim of the hole and then stabbing it from within. The bull went down with an almighty cry, falling to the floor. For a moment, Tsu'tey couldn't move. What had she just _done?_ She had taken down the bull.

The herd seemed pretty astonished too, and they quickly cleared the area from this scary predator. All the other warriors stared at Bree. Jake and Neytiri exchanged bewildered glances, Neytiri especially. Bree didn't seem to notice as she landed and then hopped off Ilie, coming towards the creature. It was slowly dying. She came cautiously over to the animal, being wary of the huge horns. She came over to the creature's side, kneeling down in the mud. She hoped she said it right as she came over to it, placing a knife at the creature's throat, and murmuring, "_Oel ngati kameie, ma tsmukan, ulte ngaru seiyi irayo. Ngari hu Eywa saleu tirea, tokx 'ì'awn slu Na'viyä hapxì." _With that, she expertly drew the knife on the soft skin of the creature's throat, and it lay still.

She was in her own little world until she heard the cheers of the other warriors. Jake was still dumbfounded, as was Tsu'tey. Both of them now exchanged glances, and Jake flew over to him. "What exactly have you been teaching her?" he questioned him casually.

Tsu'tey looked at Bree, and chuckled. "Everything Neytiri taught you. She's just a better student," he said, turning to smile at Bree. She looked up from her kill, catching the gaze of her tutor. Tsu'tey gazed down at Bree, an overwhelming sense of pride overcoming him as he looked at her. "_That's my girl_," Tsu'tey smiled.

**· · ·**

Eytukan, Grace and Adaman were nearly floored when they saw what Bree and the other warriors brought back from the first hunt. Emphasis on the 'first' – no warrior brought something that huge back. When Eytukan shot Tsu'tey a questioning glance, Tsu'tey put his hands up. "_It's all Bree's doing. Don't look at me._"

"_I will be looking at you. You're trying to tell me a novice brought this thing down?_" Eytukan questioned spastically, at which Adaman reminded him, "_And you became leader when you were eighteen. Not everything is impossible, Tsan'ten._" Eytukan gave a sigh, defeated, and turned to Bree. "_You did well._"

Grace smiled at her niece, coming to give her a hug and a kiss. "He said 'You did well'." Bree gave Eytukan a smile, and came over to give him a hug. He was a little surprised by it, but he smiled and patted her back, giving her a hug. Adaman was a little surprised Eytukan responded, as was everyone else. 'The Augustines are changing him for sure,' thought the healer.

Eytukan let Bree go after a couple of seconds. He turned to everyone. "_Well, I suggest we all go and get ready for the hunting festival, hmm? Come along everyone_."  
Neytiri came up to Bree then. She had to admit she was a little intimidated by the Avatar, and maybe just a little jealous of her and her father's sudden, random relationship. Also, the way she had seen Bree with Tsu'tey over the last few weeks left little to the imagination of their relationship. Neytiri came over to the older girl, and said, "Well done on your first kill, Bree." Bree basked in the praise from the princess.

"Thank you."

Bree really felt like going upstairs and taking a half hour cat nap, but Neytiri took her by the hand and ushered her upstairs. "Come on, let's get you ready for the festival."

Grace wondered how to warn Jake and Bree of the festival, and Norm. She had asked Eytukan if he could come along, since she felt so guilty he never got to take part in anything they did, and to her surprise Eytukan said yes. "_Did you honestly think I'd ever say no to you, Gracie?_" Eytukan chuckled when he saw her bewildered expression. Grace had quickly gotten out of her Avatar for a few minutes that afternoon to grab Norm and tell him to get himself into his Avatar and come along. But the moment she did, she wondered if it was a good idea. The Omaticayan clan festivals were civil, compared to other clans, but it was still dangerous. Drugs and alcohol weren't uncommon, and while Grace was accustomed to it, the others weren't.

Before she could warn the trio, the festival had started, and she lost them in the movements of the rhythmic dance the other Na'vi put on. Adaman sensed how on edge she was. "We'll watch over them," he promised her with a handsome smile.

Grace gave him a laugh. "Sure, I'd like to trust you – but it's not too reassuring the last time I was here for one of these you got it on with Ixchel." Adaman rolled his eyes and nudged her sharply, and she just laughed.

"I'm going to go put the children to bed," Adaman said, sounding like a father, which he technically was, to a young boy in another clan. That just strengthened Grace's doubt over his responsibility at times, particularly on nights like this.

"Don't you mean slip them a sedative?"

Adaman nodded. "Sounds about right," he smiled. Adaman always did that for the children under fifteen, just so the parents wouldn't have to worry about them for one night. The women would only relax completely if they knew their youngsters would not come seeking attention, and yet would be safe. Grace waved him off and then went off in search of Jake, Bree and Norm.

She found them with a group of other Na'vi, and listened as they all listened intently to Bree and Jake as they told the stories of today. Bree was the only woman in the group – seemed like the men had accepted her, which made Grace happy, but also made her worry, for obvious reasons that a mother would be concerned about.

Even though he hadn't made the first kill, Jake was proud of Bree. After she finished her story, he mocked her gently by telling her, "_But you'll always be my baby sister!_" Bree rolled her eyes and nudged him for that embarrassing comment. The other men howled with laughter.

Tsu'tey came over to the group with some cups, as well as a few bowls with a sort of straw protruding out one side, and Grace put her palm to her forehead. 'Well, let children learn,' she thought to herself as Jake hesitantly took one. Bree watched as Tsu'tey and Jake stared at one another in the eye, and then laughed as they both started a drinking contest. Oh, Eywa. This wasn't going to end well.

Norm peered at the strange looking drink, and sniffed at it. He withdrew immediately. "Christ, it smells like moonshine!" he exclaimed. Nevertheless, he picked one up, and Grace quickly reached out to take it from his grasp.

"Don't drink that stuff, it'll knock you into next week," Grace told him as she took it herself to drink. Norm gaped at her and nudged her with a laugh.

"You are such a hypocrite, Grace," Adaman chuckled as he came back to the Avatar. That had been quick. "What? I just hid the sedative with some sweets – they never knew what hit them!"

Grace shook her head at the healer. "You're awful," she chastised him jokingly.

"And you know it," Adaman winked at her. He looked over to where the dancers were, and watched as his niece ran over to grab Jake's hand.

"You must dance!" Neytiri smiled at Jake as he pulled away from her touch. "It is the way…" she tempted him.

Jake shook his head and got up, starting to follow Neytiri onto the main floor. Before he did, he reached out and grabbed Grace's hand, causing her to be tugged away from Adaman. "Wait, no - ! Jake! I'm a scientist, not a dancer!" Grace started to protest. She looked over at Adaman for help.

"_Sorry sweetheart – not helping you_," Adaman smirked, before he felt himself being pushed forward. He turned around to see the little form of Bree pushing him to the dance floor. "_Hey_ - !"

Norm followed the group, and Tsu'tey waited behind, watching them with a laugh, these uncoordinated dancers. Neytiri was probably the most surefooted within the group at this. Norm came to grab Bree's hand, whirling her to his arms. She gave a laugh, and looked up at Norm. "What say we show the Na'vi some human dancing?" he suggested to her.

"You're insane! I fight, I don't dance!" Bree protested, but Norm quickly turned her around, the pair of them looking a bit like a strange version of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. Grace laughed as Adaman came to dance with her. She looked over to Eytukan, who was talking with one of the elites, she noticed. Adaman saw the look in her eye. "Go and drag him over," he told her.

Grace smiled at her friend and then went over to take her lover's hand. Eytukan was pretty surprised when he felt a warm hand clasp on his wrist. "_Dancing is the way, sir_," Grace told him. Eytukan looked at her as if she were mad, but then smiled. He said something to the person he had been talking to, letting them go, before letting his lover drag him to the dancers.

"_I can't believe I let you drag me into this_," Eytukan whispered to her, but his voice was lighthearted. Grace just smiled at him as she took him to the line of dancers. A lot of the Na'vi were shocked at the sight of their leader coming to participate in the dance. He never did. And they were even more astonished that he was with _Grace_. Well, her logic said that most of them wouldn't be able to remember what happened the next day, so this would be safe. Besides, it was just harmless dancing.

But not quite so for another couple. Bree sent Norm off to another Na'vi girl, so he could take part in the actual dancing, before looking around for Tsu'tey. She found him, still in the same spot she had left him. She smiled at him before coming to take his hand, surprising the warrior. "Come on, you," she said, dragging him to the dance floor.

"Bree, I – " Tsu'tey began as Bree took him towards the other dancers in the line, moving with the others in time with the music. "I don't dance!"

"Neither!" she smiled. "But I am, aren't I?" Tsu'tey arched an eye ridge at her, and just laughed, deciding to give in and join in.

Neytiri continued to lead Jake in the dance. "Ready to change?" she asked him.

Jake looked at her, confused. "Huh?" he asked, before the dance built up to a faster pace, and suddenly Neytiri was gone, replaced with someone new. Tsu'tey let Bree go to now dance with Neytiri, Grace found her new partner was Norm, and a young Na'vi female got the shock of her life when she found she was dancing with the clan leader.

Neytiri smiled at Tsu'tey. "_Having fun?_" she questioned.

Tsu'tey looked at his friend. Just his friend. "_I suppose you could say that_," he replied, with a smile as well. Neytiri hadn't seen him this happy in a long time. Then again, she hadn't been either. The Avatars seemed to evoke something like that within all of them.

Even her father was affected. As they kept changing partners, Eytukan soon found himself in Grace's arms again. He smiled at her. Everyone had gotten over the initial shock of him dancing with the rest of the clan, so they were instead focusing elsewhere. Grace looked into his topaz eyes, seeing how much he cared for her in them, and vice versa. She really wanted to stand on her toes and give him a quick kiss, but that wouldn't work here. She would have to wait till later. The dance was coming to a close, anyhow.

Jake found himself dancing with some Na'vi girl he never learnt the name of, and Neytiri was with some other male. He found himself watching her, but she was in another world. Neytiri looked into the eyes of the male. She remembered going to school with him. "_Hello, Tsyal,_" she smiled sweetly.

The young male gave her a smile in return. "_Hello, princess._" Jake gritted his teeth.

Tsu'tey's fingers moved with Bree's as they danced, their feet moving quickly as they stepped in and then out again. Her hips moved in a way that caught his attention well; who said she wasn't a dancer? Tsu'tey's hands clasped hers by accident, causing Bree to look directly into his eyes. For a few moments, they were lost in their own world, just staring into each other's deep eyes. Tsu'tey let their hands drop slowly, their bodies still very close together.

Grace watched with a little bit of worry as Bree was so close to Tsu'tey. She blamed that girl for more than a quarter of her worry lines. The rest she gave to Miles. She tried to shake it off as Eytukan spoke to her. "_Are you all right?_" he asked her, and Grace was about to give a reply when she froze. Eytukan frowned at her, wondering what had come over her, and then turned around to see where she was looking. He stiffened up, all smiles disappearing from his face. "_Mo'at._"

There she was. As if she had never left. Mo'at came over to them, dressed in the usual outfit she saved for such ceremonies. A long, regal cape made of some animal's hide draped from her shoulders, and Grace looked down at herself, feeling horribly out of place in the human clothing she wore, more so than ever. Jake and Bree had taken to wearing the Na'vi clothing since they were becoming part of the clan. Grace wasn't.

Mo'at came over to her mate and Grace. "_Hello Eytukan, Grace,_" she said, and Grace heard a little bit of scorn dripping off of her name. She knew Mo'at had a grudge towards her due to Sylwanin's death. If only she knew… The tsahìk cast her eyes around the clan. "_Shame I wasn't invited to the party_." Her eyes furrowed as she spied Bree, and Grace's fist clenched as she asked, "_Who's that?_"

Grace looked over at Bree, and then back to Mo'at. "_She's my niece – Bree Augustine,_" she clarified. Eytukan looked at Grace, hearing how there was a tinge of nervousness in her voice as she addressed Mo'at.

Mo'at pursed her lips, and then said to Grace, "_Mind giving us a few minutes?_" Grace bowed, something she hadn't had to do in ages, and then left. Mo'at cast her eyes back to Bree and Tsu'tey. "_I see a lot has been going on while I've been gone._"

"_You were gone for over five weeks with barely any word, and now you're surprised to see changes?_" Eytukan asked bitterly. He wasn't afraid of Mo'at. If anything, she should be afraid of him. He could easily strip her of her rank in two seconds flat, with barely any reason. The adultery eight years ago ought to do it.

Mo'at turned to Eytukan, a frown creasing her features. "_Watch your tone_," she told her mate, before turning back to Bree and Tsu'tey. She ground her teeth as she saw how close they were, and how Bree was practically snuggled into Tsu'tey's body. And Tsu'tey seemed to be taking it. "_We must stop this seed from growing. His path is with Neytiri._"

Eytukan looked over at Bree and Tsu'tey. He was a little surprised, to say the least. He hadn't picked up anything between them. He knew he should, but he didn't care. He remembered how distraught Neytiri was when he told her Tsu'tey was to be her mate, how she clung to him and begged him to change it. Mo'at had forced it – they had no other choice. She had such a tunnel vision that she didn't see how many different options there were. "_Who they choose is not our concern._"

"_Eytukan, don't be so blind!_"

"_And don't you be so rash!_" Eytukan hissed viciously, keeping his voice down so the clan didn't know he was arguing with his mate. "_If they're not going to be happy, then perhaps it's better for them not to be together. Or would you rather your daughter is in a relationship with the likes of ours?_" When Mo'at didn't reply, Eytukan gave her a sharp nod. "_I didn't think so. So I suggest you shut it._" Mo'at was taken aback when her mate spoke like that to her. She thought before she had left a few weeks before that maybe their relationship was better, and her leaving would perhaps make his heart grow fonder. She was a little dismayed to find it had only gotten worse, and Eytukan's piercing gaze made her bite back any expletive that was springing to her lips. He dismissed her off, and Mo'at left with a growl.

Tsu'tey looked down at Bree in his arms, and smiled at her. He let her go after a few more moments, though it pained him to do so. "Thank you for the dance," he smiled at her. He brushed a few stray strands of hair from her gorgeous face, and then leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek gently. Bree closed her eyes as he did, a smile coming over her face. A warm glow came over her skin where Tsu'tey kissed her. Mo'at scowled at the pair of them. Never mind Eytukan then – she'd be making sure her daughter's heart didn't get broken if it was the last thing she did.


	18. Play With Fire, You Get Burned

**Chapter Eighteen | Play With Fire, You Get Burned**

' **Mo'at wracked her brains, thinking of what Grace called it. It was a photo. What would Eytukan be doing with a photo…? '**

As she suspected, the next day, most of the clan woke up with a wicked hang over. Eytukan was fine – he never really took part in these activities anyway, claiming he was too old as it was. "_You're only five years older than me_," Grace would laugh at him. "_Are you trying to tell me something?_"

As his mate had come home, Grace found herself kicked out of Eytukan's bed by Mo'at. Since she was back, Grace had had to sleep her Avatar in her usual hammock. It seemed strangely wiry and cold compared to the one she shared with Eytukan. Lucky bitch Mo'at was. Grace knew she shouldn't complain, though. She had Eytukan's attention, which Mo'at didn't.

Finding herself actually waking up early, Grace opened her tired eyes to get out of her bed in the shack. As she made her way over to the kitchenette, she saw on her computer screen that she had mail, and for once it wasn't spam. She came over to type her password in, and also give her fingerprint ID, drumming her nails on the desk as she waited. The computer came to life within a couple of seconds, and Grace drew her finger across the touch screen to open up the file. She frowned as she read it.

_Grace,_

_Come to RDA the moment you can. _

_Miles._

Grace sighed as she read the note. What could he possibly want now? She thought for a moment. Eytukan could probably still be asleep. She had to also remind herself Queen Bitchface was back. And she also had to stop calling her that in her mind.

Grace quickly had a shower and freshened up. Bree, Jake and Norm were still fast asleep, undoubtedly tired out from the party last night. Scribbling a note down, Grace felt horribly evil as she put the sticky on Jake's forehead. Well, at least they would find it there. She called Trudy up, feeling bad as she woke her, and waited.

Trudy wasn't a happy camper as she came to collect Grace, but assuming it was from Colonel Quaritch, it was obviously important. She dropped Grace at Hell's Gate, and she quickly headed to the control room, figuring Miles would be there. She was sadly mistaken however. A marine told her he was in his office. Great. Grace hated going down to the weapons locker, but obviously she had no choice. As she headed down the stairs, she noticed it got eerily quiet. "Quaritch?" she asked, looking around the machinery as she headed towards the locker. As she got closer, she heard music play. Old, classical music. What the hell?

Miles was sitting on a chair, listening to the player that fit in the palm of his hand. He looked over as Grace came in. "Ah, hello My Grace," he teased her.

"Hmm, not yours," Grace reminded him as she came over to him. She folded her arms across her chest, leaning against the door frame. She refused to come into the locker any more than was necessary. "What do you want?"

Miles got up from his seat. He gestured to the player. "What do you think of this band?" he asked her.

Grace blinked spastically. "Why…?"

"For Mandy and I's wedding, of course," he told her with a smile, coming over to her and taking her hand. "Come on, I need to see if these folks can help me get my groove on."

Grace rolled her eyes at him. "Wait, that's all you called me down for?" she snarled, pretty irritated. "If you were so desperate, just send me the damn MP3 file."

"No, mademoiselle, I need a partner," Miles smirked and he pulled her in. Grace resisted.

She shook her head. "I'm not helping you with this," she said as she started to leave. Miles watched her start to head out, and quickly got out a remote, clicking a button on it. The song changed. Grace brought her head up as the old 21st century song 'Chasing Cars' came to play. She turned to him with a scowl. "That was so not a coincidence…"

Miles smiled and pulled her back over. "C'mere. This was our song, remember?"

"Hmm. Funny that. These days I want to hit you with a car."

A rough chuckle came from Miles as he pulled Grace in, his arm going around her waist, the other taking her hand. "Just relax, Grace. You're always so defensive." Grace guessed there was no getting out of this unless she just gave in. So, like she was a hostage, she did just that. She found it easier than she thought as Miles' arms enclosed around her. Miles smiled as she gave in. "I knew you'd come back."

Grace sighed, moving in to rest her head on his strong chest. "Shut up."

"Just tell me and I'll stop it you know." Grace frowned, and she looked up at him. "The wedding, I mean."

She let that sink in for a few moments. Did he actually mean that? "Wait a minute, so… this whole engagement and all to Mandy? You'll end it if _I _ask you to?" Miles nodded. Grace stiffened at that. She and Miles had been together for so long… she thought it would last forever, but it didn't. When it had been good, it had been _good._ She did miss that. She did miss his nice side, when he'd cuddle her and whisper loving words into her ear at night. But they wanted different things – she had wanted a family and he didn't. Not to mention, they were on opposing sides now. And… she had someone else to love. She pulled away and shook her head. "No… No, Miles, and do you know why? It's because every time I look at you, I see the same man who cheated on me and broke my heart all those years ago..."

Miles was taken aback as Grace said then. He then smiled at her, brushing a strand of red hair from her face. "Grace, can't you see I've changed?"

Grace smiled at him weakly, and shook her head. "No. You haven't changed, and I can see it."

Miles frowned at her. "Well, for starters, I haven't touched your little blue friends at all. I can easily change that."

"Are you threatening me?"

"If you see it that way."

Grace yanked herself away from him, frowning deeply at him. "So if I say no to you, you'll kill everyone? What kind of a sick, sadistic bastard are you?" Grace shook her head at him, giving him a dirty look as she left. Miles ground his teeth as she left. "Hats off to Mandy. And you go to hell." 

**· · ·**

It was nice being home, Mo'at had to admit. She didn't realise how much she had missed it. It was nice to have that comforting feeling of being at Hometree, the sense of relaxation, not having to be on your guard all the time. At least her sister was better now, so Mo'at didn't feel guilty about leaving her.

The tsahìk headed up to her room, wondering if Eytukan was there. "_Eytukan?_" she asked as she reached the room. Maybe he had gone for a walk. She considered going after him, and thought better of it – he probably wanted to be alone. But, she did want to say sorry for their argument yesterday. Still, Tsu'tey had no right backing out of a promise he made years ago. No one had such a right. Couldn't he see that?

Mo'at came over to the table, which was still littered with scriptures. Judging by the dust that had collected over it, she wondered when the last time was that male had even touched them. "_I wish you would put your things back, Eytukan_," she said to no one in particular. He wasn't here to hear it, anyway. She blew off the dust particles and came to collect the parchments, wondering where to actually put them. They had lived for so long on the round table, she couldn't remember where else they would go. She wondered if dementia was coming to her prematurely, or they had really been there for that long. She came over to the side of the room, putting the scriptures there for now. Let Eytukan deal with it later.

As she picked them up, she heard a rustle as something fell out of one of the pockets of scriptures. She went to place the rest of the scrolls down before retracing her steps to look at what she had dropped. She frowned as her eyes came across a small white rectangle. She bent down to pick it up, and feeling a more slippery side, she turned it over, seeing colours and shapes on the other side. Mo'at wracked her brains, thinking of what Grace called it. It was a photo. What would Eytukan be doing with a photo…? He never kept any human items up here. She looked closely at it, and saw him within it. She smiled as she noticed how old this image must be – he had aged a little more since then. She guessed this must have been the day Grace and her other Avatar friend Anthony had brought a camera. She had stayed out of their hair that day.

Speaking of whom, that was who was beside Eytukan. Right beside him. Mo'at frowned as she tilted the image up a little. Eytukan was standing awfully close to Grace, their bodies practically touching. She looked closely at the expressions of her mate and the Avatar - that handsome smile Eytukan wore, the expression in his eyes… they seemed so foreign, yet so familiar at the same time. Mo'at nearly fainted as realisation slowly dawned upon her. That was the same look he had had for her when he had loved her, when they were eighteen. And Grace… she had that same look as she gazed into her mate's topaz eyes. The look of love, of adoration.

Mo'at snarled in a rage, and clenched her fist, wanting to reduce the photo to a crumpled up heap. But… no. No she wouldn't do that. Not yet…


	19. You Got Me Love Struck

**It's always one of those awesome days where you get a message on another forum where someone asks you, 'Are you the writer of Bumps in the Road?' I love my readers so much!**

**Chapter Nineteen | You Got Me Love Struck**

' **As reality of what she just did fell on her, Bree quickly unlinked fully, needing to get out of the coffin-like, claustrophobic space. What had she **_**done**_**? '**

Bree hadn't been too excited when Tsu'tey roused her from her hammock that day, dancing his fingers under a sensitive and ticklish part of her ear. She was still groggy from the festival and did not care to wake up. He obviously didn't take that into account as he moved his annoying fingers to tickle her under the chin teasingly. She'd rather him focus those fingers elsewhere, but that couldn't happen. "I know you are linked up, Bree," he chuckled as she pretended to play dead. He nudged her softly. "Come on. You need to wake up."

Bree groaned in response and rolled over. "Why? It's Saturday…" she complained like a child.

Tsu'tey, since he was a Na'vi and had no use for days of the week, looked at her strangely. "Not an excuse to me. Wake up, Bree. We need to get you painted."

He had her attention now. Bree gave a yawn and rolled over to look at her mentor, sleep still in her Avatar's eyes. "Um… what?" Tsu'tey took that opportunity grab her by her tiny wrists to pull her to her feet, dragging her out of her hammock. After he got her somewhat awake and coherent, he passed her a glass of water. "No food until midday," he explained to her when Bree started to protest. She would thank him later. With that, he took her to send her downstairs, where Neytiri greeted her. Slowly Bree understood. Well Tsu'tey could have just told her about the dream hunt! He was so cryptic sometimes. She wondered if that kiss last night had meant anything…

"Bree, come on, you're daydreaming again," Jake told her with a nudge, being careful not to wipe any of the paint off of himself. Bree was brought back to the present as she noticed Jake walking ahead of her, towards a part of Hometree she hadn't been to. She was off in her own little world again, that she got such a start as Adaman came up to her. So soundlessly he moved. If Adaman hadn't become a healer, he would have made a great spy.

"Whoa! Sorry, Bree," he apologised. He stopped her at the entrance to the area. "All right… just have a clear mind, okay?" When she nodded her understanding, Adaman went into the dark area with her, slowly heading down the ramp. He directed her to the middle of the circle, and she looked around, spying Eytukan, that leader Mo'at who she had just met a little while ago (she did not seem the nicest woman in the world), and several other elites. Tsu'tey was nowhere to be seen.

Adaman came to a side of the darkened place, coming to a small box. Bree swallowed as she saw him reach in and then produce a wriggling, squirming scorpion. She closed her eyes as he came over, and grimaced a little as she felt the sting. It felt like a flu vaccine with the amount of throbbing yet numbing pain that went through her arm, and then she started to dream.

In the meantime, Tsu'tey was pacing furiously downstairs. What if Bree didn't wake up from this? What then? Such things happened often – even Na'vi died from this. It wasn't unheard of. And he wasn't the only one fretting over her. Grace was pretty stressed out as well, but if she saw Tsu'tey then, he would put her to shame.

When she finally shook off the last of the poisonous drug, Bree felt her brain starting to return. And it was a good thing, as Adaman shoved her up towards the light. She had a first wonder if she was dying, but she soon found the feeling returned to her feet, she realised she was alive. She walked up the stairs, coming to stand where Eytukan often did to address the clan. The Na'vi raised their heads to look at their new member, and Bree smiled at them. She felt a hand on her shoulder then, and looked to see Eytukan directing her to stand in the middle of the group of Na'vi. "_You are now a daughter of the Omaticaya. You are part of the people._" Eytukan gave her a smile, and then Bree felt more hands placed on her, as the whole clan came to welcome her into their lives. Her heart sank though as she didn't spy Tsu'tey amongst the crowd.

After dinner, Tsu'tey was practicing with his claw-like weapon, placing jabs along a target. He was just aiming to hit it again as a voice came to whisper huskily in his ear, "Miss it, miss it…" If he hadn't been so trained, he would have easily jumped out of his skin. Tsu'tey chuckled, and turned around to see Bree. The paint was removed from her skin, and she had taken her hair out of the braids she usually had, letting her ebony hair flow freely around her shoulders, ringlets having formed from the tiny plaits. He said a silent prayer to Eywa of thanks she was alright, and had to think to himself of how beautiful she looked. He quickly put it out of her mind before he said something stupid. "How did it go?" he asked as he moved to take off the claws.

Bree nodded, walking with him to put the claws away. "Good. But I was… a little hurt you weren't there." 'Little' didn't even cover it. He had taught her for weeks until this day, and he wasn't even there to witness it?

The warrior hesitated, turning to look at Bree apologetically. How could he explain this? "I… I'm sorry," he told her, seeing the hurt in her eyes. "I wanted to be there… But Bree, you have to understand. You do not realise how terrifying a dream hunt is until you watch someone else go through it." Tsu'tey hesitated, and Bree's ears went back. "I did not want to see you in that way, writhing under the force of the poison, like you were having a deadly fit. You are the strongest person I know, and to see you like that…"

Bree had never seen Tsu'tey struggle for words so much as he was now. All of her annoyed feeling disappeared, and she gave him a smile, placing her soft hand on his cheek, running her thumb over his cheekbone. "Hey, hey… I'm here. I'm alive. You don't need to worry about me – you have to worry about a whole clan, not just one person."

Tsu'tey gave her an astounded look. She really wasn't a stereotypical human, one who only thought of themselves. She recognized the world around her, and took it into account. He was still lost in his own world when Bree said, "So I guess you're not my mentor anymore."

"Bree, I will always be your mentor," he smiled at her. "And you my student. But sometimes it was vice versa, I hope you realise." He touched the eye she had hit for effect, making her give a small laugh. It had happened weeks ago, so the mark wasn't even there anymore. He was dissolved into his thoughts for a few moments, before he patted her shoulder. "Come with me." With complete trust, the absolute belief that Tsu'tey could do her no wrong, she dutifully obeyed. He led her into the forest, skipping over the rocks and the bioluminescent forest plants around them. Bree quickly broke into a skip as well to keep up with his long strides. He led her over a log, and she gave a laugh as she ran ahead of him once they were on the other side, many fan lizards flying up from her footsteps.

Tsu'tey gave a laugh as well, looking at her. Just looking at her, taking in her breathtaking features. 'My Eywa, she is so beautiful,' he thought to himself, feeling his heart skip a beat. He came to take her hands, tugging her towards the tree behind him. "Come… come on!" he chuckled, leading her towards the pink-hued tendrils of the tree. Tsu'tey let go of Bree's hand to run his fingers along the tendrils. Bree copied his movement, smiling at the feeling of the silky, thread-like tree. The way the tendrils moved, it was as if they were underwater, with gravity not restricting it. Just as she was about to ask, Tsu'tey said, "This is a place where prayers can be heard…" He smiled a little as he came over to a tendril, taking it in his hands, before looking at her. "… And sometimes answered." He slipped his queue over his shoulder, letting the tendrils of his own queue wrap around the tree's own leaves. The tendrils brightened, and had a sort of unearthly glow as it recognised Tsu'tey's presence. "We call these trees 'Utraya mokri' – The Tree of Voices." Bree watched what he did, and then did the same, her eyes widening as voices of so many different past Na'vi came in to fog her mind. Tsu'tey smiled and let go of the tree himself, coming over to where she was. "They live, Bree…," he told her softly, causing her to bring her gaze to his. "They live within Eywa." He let his eyes trail down from her own, and he hesitantly placed his hand on her chest, but kept it up near her shoulder. "You are now part of the Omaticaya. You may make your bow from Hometree." The brightness from his eyes disappeared then, and he looked away from her, turning in another direction. "And a man may choose you to… be his mate…"

Bree's ears perked at that. "Really?" she questioned softly, watching him as he put his hands out as an atokorina drifted down from the tree tops.

Tsu'tey nodded, his heart clenching as he explained that. He hated the thought of another man kissing her, touching her, being able to love her… no! He didn't want that. But, she was part of the clan… And he was her mentor. He had to teach her everything. He doubted she was really interested anyway. "We have quite a few fine men. There's Chenon. He's a strong warrior."

Bree watched Tsu'tey, her eyes soft as she tilted her head slightly to look up at him. "I don't want Chenon…" she told him.

Tsu'tey couldn't help but give a smile as she turned the first person down. He blew on his hands gently, causing the seed of the sacred tree to fly up, floating on the wind. "Ahurewa is a good hunter. And he'd be a good mate," he suggested.

"Yeah… he probably would be," Bree whispered. Tsu'tey's ears went back and he turned around to his student, trying not to let the sadness show on his face. Bree smiled a little at him, coming over to snuggle against him, a soft purr rumbling in her throat. Tsu'tey was a bit shocked as he felt her warm body pressed against his own, and a large smile lighted his features as she whispered, "I've already chosen… But he must also choose me."

Tsu'tey looked at the petite frame of Bree, and brought her head up to his, his fingers tracing lightly over her lips, making her shiver. "He already has," he purred in return. She blushed, the stripes across her face becoming more obvious, making her look like a little doll. Tsu'tey moved his fingers under her chin, bringing her face up. Bree closed her eyes as he closed the space between them, and her heart flared as she felt his lips press to hers tenderly. She pressed her body to his more, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him in to her. After a few moments, Tsu'tey broke off their embrace. Bree's eyes opened and she looked at him when he lifted his warm mouth from hers. "Is something wrong?" she asked him gently.

The warrior reached forward to brush some stray hair from her face, his fingers brushing over her silky skin. "I love you, Bree. So much I do," he admitted to her. "More than I have loved anyone." Sylwanin would always remain in his memory, but she would be a distant one. Like Eytukan had told him, she would have wanted him to move on – and he was.

Bree looked at Tsu'tey, a bright smile coming over her features. She cupped his face with her soft hands, leaning in to press a loving kiss to his lips. "I love you too, Tsu'tey," she murmured, resting her head against his. She frowned then, contemplating. "But… why? I mean… when we first met, you couldn't stand the sight of me…"

"I guess I made a wrong judgment of you," he told her. "You are the most… amazing, wonderful and beautiful person I have ever known… You actually scare me at times." She laughed softly at that. Tsu'tey kissed her forehead, rubbing her smooth back gently, pulling her closer. Bree gave a purr, running her tongue softly along his lips, making him copy her sound. He gently guided her to the floor, hovering over her. Bree's tail ran along his own, and he gently trailed his fingers along her queue, making her shiver. He ran his hands down over her curvy, sexy figure, purring as he felt her. He moved his hands under her back, and Bree arched up to make it easier for him. He undid the knots of her top, letting it fall off her. He looked down at her bare chest, feeling himself get a little more excited, which Bree felt against her thigh. She smirked. "Having fun?" she purred at him.

"You have no idea," he replied after his eyes had had their fill. He ran his hands through her silky hair, fondling the plait gently, making her moan. He moved his mouth to her ear, whispering seductively, "Take out your queue…"

Bree brought herself up to flip her queue over her shoulder, just as he requested. She watched as he took his own plait, and then brought her own close. Bree's eyes slowly closed as she felt a pleasurable sensation come over her, the likes and strength of which she had never felt before. Through the bond, she was hit with a flash of images, as was Tsu'tey. It was Eywa's transmittal of their memories, so they could fully know one another. Both of their eyes met, before he moved to press his lips to hers hungrily, which she copied. He was a strong warrior, but as he undressed Bree, Tsu'tey found himself losing his control; she didn't seem to mind as he practically tore off her loin cloth. "Bree…" His voice was husky with need as he looked over her naked body, and his loins tightened. He kissed her open mouth fiercely, then buried his face in her neck and sucked on her skin. Breathing hard, he backed off and saw the dark mark he had made. He took a deep breath, trying to restrain himself.

"Is anything wrong?" Bree asked with a worried frown.

"Only that I want you too much," Tsu'tey purred, resting his forehead on his.

Her frown smoothed into a smile, teasing him by running her tail along his waist. "So come and get me then…" Tsu'tey smiled brought his head up to come and kiss her lips tenderly, making her eyelids flutter closed. Bree didn't really know what to expect with this, to be honest. No one had given her attention like Tsu'tey was, caressing and loving her – she'd only been abused.

He kissed her romantically as his hands ran over her body. His hand brushed over her mound, across her stomach to the large swelling of her breast, feeling her nipple harden with arousal. She quivered under his strong touch, his hands holding her down to the floor, not that she needed to be encouraged to stay put. He sucked her breast into her mouth, and Bree's moans became more audible. His hand travelled down more, coming to find the small nodule that was her small but erect centre of delight, and rubbed it firmly and rapidly. He feared he had reached his own limit of self-control as he felt a surge of wetness on his hand after a while, and Bree's hips bucked in pleasure. Her hands clenched and unclenched convulsively, her breath coming out in spasms. She pulled Tsu'tey back up to her, bringing him in for a long, loving kiss. Both of them were ready, and Bree spread her legs, and Tsu'tey shifted into a position to slide down between them. As she arched up to receive him, he let himself enter, both of them gasping in pleasure from the sensation. Tsu'tey found no blockage as he got in her. He drew back and plunged deeply into her again. Bree wrapped her legs around him, pulling him into her more. He dived in again, and again, both of them reveling in the pleasure they were giving one another.

After a while, the tension was nearing its peak. He could feel it gathering in his loins. He drew back once more. Bree rose up to him with every nerve and muscle taut. They strained together, Bree cried his name, and within moments and giving his final fraction, Tsu'tey surged into her. Then he collapsed on top of her, spent.

For a long moment, only their breathing could be heard. They couldn't move. They knew it was over, but they didn't want the aftermath feeling to ever go away. Bree's fingers danced lithely in Tsu'tey's hair, and he kissed her cheek, their tails slackening. Their bodies were slick with sweat, both of them breathing in shuddering gasps. Tsu'tey moved in to nuzzle her ear and kiss her neck, before disengaging himself to lie beside her on the cold grass, something that would cool his heated body. Bree nestled her head under the crook of his arm, dreamily content and acutely aware of her lover. She could hear his heartbeat, or perhaps her own, ringing in her ears. She gave a soft purr as she snuggled in. Tsu'tey smiled as she did, kissing the top of her head. He murmured her name in his Na'vi burr like a prayer, "_Bree… Bree…_"

All of a sudden, Bree felt horribly exhausted. She could be forgiven for that, but usually she didn't get tired so easily. It was probably what had made her a hit back on Earth. Seeing his new mate's tired eyes, Tsu'tey explained. "Sleep, darling. It's Eywa's sleep."

Bree's ears flickered when he called her darling, which made her smile a little more. It was going to look like she slept with a hanger in her mouth tomorrow. What he said secondly made her look at him in confusion. "It's what?" she asked, trying not to yawn.

"After a couple makes _tsaheylu, _Eywa sends the couple to sleep to let them see hints of what their lives may be like together," Tsu'tey explained. So, he was still her teacher, like he said he always would be. Bree smiled in content, and Tsu'tey turned them over gently so he was spooning her, his arms enfolding his new mate protectively, determined not to let any harm come to his girl. As Bree's Avatar drifted off to sleep, she heard Tsu'tey say, "I am with you now, Bree… we are mated for life."

**· · ·**

Bree's eyes fluttered open to see a dark gray tone of colour above her. She looked around her, realising that once she was asleep as an Avatar, she was back here, in the shack. Just a human. Always had been, always would be. Tsu'tey was far from her from here. As reality of what she just did fell on her, Bree quickly unlinked fully, needing to get out of the coffin-like, claustrophobic space. What had she _done_? She got to her feet, shaking off the pins and needles that had settled within them as she crept towards the bathroom in the shack. Once she was there, she shut the door, taking in shaking breaths.

Her eyes glanced up to the cracked mirror that hung on the wall. She saw multiples of herself in there, staring back at her. She saw her plain, nude coloured features instead of cyan ones. Crimson hair had been exchanged for the black hair that Tsu'tey had run his fingers through. Gone was the tail he had entwined his with, the cat-like nose he had kissed. This wasn't his Bree. This was someone else. Someone he didn't even know, someone he had never even seen before. Would he love her then…? Would he really love this plain girl compared to the blue beauty he had fallen for? Bree tried to tell herself he would, but a nagging sense in the back of her mind told her otherwise.

She came to the sink, placing her shaking hands on either side. Tears fought their way to the surface, but she closed her eyes quickly before they could make their escape. "What the hell are you doing, Bree…?" she asked herself. She didn't even know.

After a few minutes on the verge of tears in the bathroom, Bree pulled herself together. She hardly ever cried – she hadn't in ages, and she wasn't about to start now. She walked to where Jake and Grace were linked up. She looked at the time – 11:36 PM. 'Must be a good night,' she thought to herself, looking at the chamber Grace was in. She sighed and went to her bed, needing to sleep, and truly sleep.


	20. Now You Know

**Ahhh, so close yet so far from the ending. I hope you guys like this – I tried to explain the situation at the end as best as possible. Hope you guys don't get confused. If you are, I'll rewrite it. If you could review, it would be nice too! I hate fishing for reviews, but I love it when my readers comment – also, it's a good indicator to me with how you guys are faring through the story. So, keep them coming please and thank you!**

**Chapter Twenty | Now You Know**

"_**You are not my father…**_**"**

**Eytukan's eyes widened, and then he gave a vicious snarl. "**_**Why, you ungrateful little – !**_**" Eytukan took a breath, trying to control his rising anger. "**_**I married your mother to give you a life worth living, and this is how you repay me?"**_

After the Avatar's dream hunt ceremony, Mo'at retired herself to her room, needing to think. Eytukan didn't even notice her departure. She went to sit on their hammock, going to take her sewing as she did. Her hands were shaking too much to even poke a hole in the material to thread the twine through. She breathed out to calm herself. This was insane. Eytukan didn't have an adulterous bone in his body. Mo'at, on the other hand…

Maybe he was. She had given him permission years ago – she figured he had pushed it out of his mind. After she had cheated on him, she told him to go and have an affair to even the score. He didn't seem to take it to heart when she suggested it though. Also, Mo'at had to remember that time years ago when she was married to her first mate. She had gone to Eytukan for comfort after a battle with him, and he had made her feel loved… But this was stupid. Eytukan wouldn't have an affair with _Grace_. Not after what she did. Besides, what could a woman like her offer him? The answer came clear to Mo'at the moment she thought it – lots of things. Grace was beautiful, young… Most men took to that. Make that all. But was Eytukan counted within the majority?

Mo'at looked up as Eytukan came into their quarters. He was surprised to see her there, even though this was her room as well. "_Hello Mo'at_," he said, his tone quite stiff. He turned to his desk, frowning when all the scriptures were gone. "_Did you tidy up in here?_"

"_I have a right to_." Eytukan turned to look at her, a frown creasing his features. "_This is my room too, and I don't feel much like living in squalor._"

A roll of the eyes from her mate, and then he went to grab a soft rag that was hanging on a type of rack made from a tree branch. "_Fine. Well, I am off to have a bath._"

It was now Mo'at's turn to frown. She drew back from him, leaning back in her chair. "_You had one this morning…_" Eytukan spent his days doing scripture work and making sure everything was in order. They had a peaceful clan – it wasn't as if he had to break up any fights or stop a war. There was no reason for him to be filthy, so why would he need a second bath?

"_No harm in taking a nice long bath_," Eytukan said, figuring he best force a smile for effect on his mate before leaving.

Mo'at sat up properly in the bedding as her mate left. "_I thought that was a woman's privilege?_" she argued, but he was out of earshot by now. He was probably losing his hearing slowly as it was. 'Follow him,' came a voice inside her head. After a couple of moments, Mo'at got to her feet, placing her not even touched sewing down. She crept out of the room, casting her eyes around to see her mate just disappearing around the corner, heading down the stairs. She knew this was wrong, but spending the rest of her life wondering wasn't worth it.

The leader slipped into the forest, walking along the purple moss that lighted up as he stepped lithely along it. He pushed aside the ferns gently, walking until he came to a field. On the other side of the field was a natural rock wall, that stretched up for many metres above their heads, the trees branches reaching out create a natural roofing. Within the wall was a small hole, which Eytukan headed towards. He smiled as he saw the one he had come for sitting on a rock outside, waiting for him. Grace turned to give her lover a smile, coming to greet him. "_I thought you wouldn't make it._"

Eytukan purred softly, resting his head against hers. "_I always make it for you_," he said, and Grace smirked at the pun. She gently leaned in, pressing her lips to his own in a tender kiss. Eytukan let his arms embrace her, pulling Grace close.

From her vantage point just on the border of the field, Mo'at's ears shot back. She turned away quickly, not wanting to see that anymore. No… She moved away from the field, running away blindly through the forest, tears springing to her eyes. She collapsed against a tree, figuring she best pull herself together before she reached the clan. How could he do this to her? But as Mo'at thought it over, she got more angry than sad. Gritting her teeth, she wiped her tears away and went up to her and Eytukan's quarters.

**· · ·**

Eytukan placed a deep kiss to Grace's lips once they were done, his hands brushing over her soft skin. She broke it off after a few moments, coming to press her forehead to his gently. "_I wish you could stay here longer…_"

Eytukan gave a sigh, kissing her forehead gently. "_You'll see me again soon. But we can't stay any longer lest Mo'at catch us_." Giving her a parting kiss, Eytukan smiled and then turned to head back to the clan first. Grace would wait a few minutes and then take a longer route so they wouldn't be seen returning at the same time, or from the same place.

The leader went up to his room, figuring Mo'at had gone to bed by this time. Instead, he was surprised to find as he stepped in that she was awake, at the desk. He stretched and gave a fake yawn, saying, "_Well, I'm exhausted. I'm off to bed._"

Mo'at looked down at the photo in her hands, trying not to let her fingers bring a rip between Eytukan and that slut. She brought her fingers and the photo into view from under the table, where it had been resting on her lap. She pushed the image to the end of the table, in Eytukan's direction as he started towards their hammock, the sound of the plastic sliding against the wound causing him to turn to the source of the noise. He froze when he saw what Mo'at had pushed over. "_You know… I used to think it was benign neglect. And it was. Since you were screwing her…_"

Eytukan came over to the table, looking at the photo. He tried to remain nonchalant as he said, "_It's just a photo. What are you saying?_"

Mo'at arched her eye ridge in surprise, before giving a dark chuckle. "_Oh wow, Eytukan, I didn't realise how pathetic you were. Particularly since your mate knows everything since I followed you for your 'bath', and you won't even admit it._" She stood up, picking up the photo as she did, shoving it into Eytukan's face. "_So how did it happen? She came to you, alone and desolate, and you being the perfect gentleman just started tearing her clothes off?_" The moment he opened his mouth to defend himself, a frown coming to his features, Mo'at put her hand up. "_No, you know – I don't even want to know how you got with that whore._" Her voice was quaking with anger, not sadness. It made her feel a bit better when Eytukan snarled at her. At least she had hit him hard with the whore comment.

"_You were the one who told me to go and have an affair, remember?_" he countered dangerously.

"_Not to sleep with the woman who killed Sylwanin!"_

"_She didn't kill Sylwanin! And your blindness keeps telling you that. She tried to protect her._"

Mo'at snarled in a rage. "_So as a thank you, you just parted her legs?_" She shook her head at her mate. "_I'm done. I'm out of here. Go and live with your whore, and see if I care._"

Eytukan's ears flew back as Mo'at laid that threat on him. "_You can't just leave your clan – you have a duty here._"

"_And you had a duty to me. Mates are supposed to be faithful._"

"_Oh, look who's calling the pot black?_" Eytukan seethed, and Mo'at gritted her teeth.

The tsahìk headed towards the door, taking the picture between her fingers to tear it apart, before throwing it at her soon-to-be ex-mate's feet. Eytukan looked down at the age old picture of Grace and him, bending down to pick it up. The line parted the two of them perfectly through the middle, with Grace on one side and him on the other. "_One more thing…_" As Eytukan came back up with the photo, Mo'at lashed out with her fist, hitting him hard in the eye, causing him to snarl from the impact. As she walked out of the room, Mo'at's ears went back, wringing her hand out as she went down the hall.

Usually when her parents fought, they kept it down, out of Neytiri's and the rest of the clan's ears. But this was loud. She'd never heard her ma and da fight like this before. A concerned frown came over her face, and looked at Jake who was sitting opposite her. "I think we should check," she told him, cutting off their conversation as she got up from the floor, quickly going down the hall. Jake perked his ear up, and then paled. Oh no.

"Wait, Neytiri!" he exclaimed, running after her. This wasn't going to end well.

Neytiri came towards her parents room, her eyes widening as she saw her mother push past her. "_Ma – _" she began, but Mo'at just shrugged off her hand as she tried to touch her shoulder. Neytiri's ears shot back. As Jake came towards her, passing Mo'at, she shot him a deathly glower. He felt his blood run cold as she did, and he went to Neytiri's side. "What's going on?" Neytiri asked no one in particular. Jake's ears went down and he looked away. Catching the movement in the corner of her eye, the princess whipped around to look at her friend. "You know something… don't you?" When he made no reply, Neytiri got more flustered. "Jake…!"

Slowly, the Avatar turned to her, his eyes soft. He patted her shoulder, gently easing her to the floor. It was best she was sitting for this. "All right," he said, "But you didn't hear it from me…"

**· · ·**

Neytiri came to drop the requested parchment on her father's desk, not saying anything to him. Eytukan murmured a thank you, putting the cool cloth more on his eye. He watched as his daughter started to leave. He gave a small sigh. "_Wait, Neytiri…_ _Come back._"

She stopped in her tracks, turning around in the doorway. Her eyes narrowed practically to slits. "_You so sure you want that? I might punch you, too._"

"_I'll take my chances._"

Biting back a snarl, Neytiri stepped back into her parents' room, or rather, Eytukan's room. Mo'at would leave the clan, she assumed. That's how it always was with her mother. Once a man hurt her, she was gone. "_Look, I really don't want to hear about this. And don't try to justify to me that this was a mistake. There is far too much effort and planning that goes into an affair to call it a mistake! So don't even…_" Neytiri trailed off as she realised her father was laughing. She snarled this time. "_Eytukan, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't laugh right now._"

Eytukan ceased his laughing slowly. "_Neytiri, you don't know half the story of this._"

"_I think it's pretty fucking clear. You've been sticking it to Grace for over six years._"

He clamped his jaws together as his daughter spoke in such a tone and used such a language. He stood up, a frown creasing his features as he looked down at his youngest and now only child. "_You have no right to speak like that. I am your father._"

Neytiri looked at him, into his blackened eye. Maybe she ought to punch him in the other to even it out. She pulled back from Eytukan, her eyes not her own. They were emotionless, cold. Slowly, she shook her head. "_You are not my father…_"

Eytukan's eyes widened, and then he gave a vicious snarl. "_Why, you ungrateful little – !_" Eytukan took a breath, trying to control his rising anger. "_I married your mother to give you a life worth living, and this is how you repay me?"_

"_Is that how you repay her? After everything she's done for you?_"

"_What the hell is that supposed to mean, Neytiri?_"

Neytiri hesitated. She frowned at him, tears springing to her eyes. "_She loved you unconditionally…_ _And you betrayed her._"

Eytukan stiffened up. He looked at his daughter. "_Did you know that when you were eight, your 'father' and uncle abused you? Or did you block that out?_" Neytiri's resolve wavered. "_And your sister came to me, begging for help… And so I took you both in, and married your mother. Or would you rather have stayed there being their little plaything?_" Her ears shot back, and she stepped away slightly from Eytukan. He moved towards her. "_He was never your father. What sort of a father does something like that to his own daughter? And sort of a mother turns her gaze away from that? Huh? Answer me that._" Neytiri's bottom lip trembled slightly, and she whipped her gaze away from Eytukan, trying to control the tears that wanted to flow. "_Your 'father' was never there before you came along. While he was on a trip for over a year, you were conceived. So what does that tell you?_"  
Neytiri turned around, snarling at Eytukan. "_It tells me that you've been THIS sort of a man for your whole life! And don't try to deny it! You're telling me you cheated with my mother and had me! Well thanks for that insight, 'da'! You really are a piece of work!_"

Eytukan growled in his throat. "_Get out._" Neytiri's ears shot back and she gave him a final snarl, disappearing from the room. As she left, Grace came in to take her place. She looked pretty flustered.

"_What's gotten into her? And have you seen Bree and Tsu'tey? They left to the forest hours ago, and no one has seen… them…"_ Grace trailed off as she saw the state Eytukan was in, particularly the black eye. She came towards him, moving to touch the angered skin gently; he flinched away. "_Eytukan… what happened?_"

The leader gave a sigh, trying to relax. His heart was heavy after that brush with the past with Neytiri. "_… Mo'at found out._" Grace felt faint, but she kept herself together, or tried to. She stepped back from Eytukan, trying to process that. Mo'at knew…? Oh shit. Grace was screwed. As was Eytukan. "_And I told Neytiri of her actual heritage._"

Grace swallowed, but it felt scratchy as she did as her throat got try. "_What happened…?_"

"_She found the picture… and followed us. The eye is from Mo'at. I think she'll ask for a divorce tomorrow. And Neytiri storming out was the culmination of our conversation._"

The Avatar closed her eyes, feeling her heart clench. "_Should I leave then…? Or should I… stay…? W-what should I do…?"_

Eytukan's ears flickered as he heard how scared Grace was. He turned to her, looking into her topaz eyes. Tears were falling from them, and he came over to kiss them away. He wrapped his arms around her, letting her cry. She hadn't done so in a long time, at least not in his presence. "_Stay… Stay with me. Just promise me you will._"

Grace nodded, whispering, "_I promise._"

Eytukan sighed in relief, rubbing her shoulders gently. "_It'll be okay…_" Grace found it strange and selfish of her that he had to be the one comforting her. She placed a kiss to his cheek, giving him a hug in return. "_Just stay with me, Gracie… Just promise you will…_"


	21. Sweetheart, I Have To Confess

**So sorry guys! Exams got so hectic… But hey, my study paid off – 94% in History, my highest mark! I think Grace would be a little bit disappointed in my science mark, but hey, I did reasonably well and passed it! Also, I've been busy with media at school, since I'm the new sound director. I'm movin' on up in the world. Schooling world, that is.**

**Well, here you go. The next chapter. I don't mind the ending part, but the bits leading up to I'm iffy on… Sorry guys. I might take it down once the whole story is finished and edit it a bit more if I'm really unhappy with it. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Chapter Twenty-One | Sweetheart, I Have To Confess**

**Grace choked on her saliva as she understood all the clues. "You… You're leaving the clan defenseless… You're getting all the main Omaticayan heads out so you can blow up Hometree with no trouble."**

"**Ah, smart, smart, my Grace. I knew you'd piece it together."**

It was light the next day as Tsu'tey awoke, having to blink a bit from the power of the light. He turned to look at Bree, who was still fast asleep, or unlinked, beside him. He smiled and gave her a kiss on the forehead, coiling his tail with hers again. Within a few moments, Bree's own eyes opened, and she turned around to smile at Tsu'tey. "Hey…"

Tsu'tey smiled and kissed her lips. "Morning." She rubbed her forehead against his, giving a purr. "Sleep well, _beautiful_?"

Bree chuckled softly as he called her that. "Yes," she purred. "But we need to get back to the clan."

Tsu'tey smirked a little as she pulled away and got up to get dressed, and he watched as she did. Bree flicked him gently in the face with her tail in reprimand for it. "Come on, you."

**· · ·**

Grace herself awoke late, finding Eytukan already up and sitting at the table. He was just staring at nothing in particular though. Giving a sigh, Grace pulled her Avatar's body out of bed, coming to his side. She placed a five-fingered hand on his shoulder. "_Morning…_"

The leader looked up into Grace's eyes, both of them looking tired and weary. His black eye seemed a bit more angry right now. "_Hello Grace_," he sighed, gently pulling her onto his lap. He kissed her cheek gently. "_Sleep all right?_"

She looked at him, tracing the tired circles under his eyes. "_Better than you_," she murmured softly.

Eytukan gave a sigh and shook his head, accidentally knocking off Grace's fingers in the process. "_Well, can't be helped._" He kissed her lips softly before letting her go so he could get up. "_We best head downstairs_." With barely another word, Eytukan left. Grace's ears went back with worry and she followed him, heading down the spiral stairs. She frowned when she saw the whole clan gathered. Even Eytukan found that strange. The atmosphere was tense, and Grace watched as Mo'at and Neytiri both tried to calm the situation. What was going on?

"_Tsu'tey didn't come back last night!"_

"_Do you think he's okay?_"

"_We hope so… He's never out for this long._"

Eytukan's ears went back with concern. That was true, what the clan was saying – Tsu'tey was always responsible and came home before the dangers of night settled in. He slowly turned to Grace, wondering if she knew anything; Grace was just as muddled as him. He was about to say something to her when Adaman came to stand dutifully by his side. "_Brother, what's happening?_"

Adaman shook his head. He was equally as confused. "_I don't know. I just woke up to this – the clan is fretting about Tsu'tey. He's a big boy – he'll be fine._" Eytukan frowned with confusion. He was about to ask Grace's opinion when he heard her murmur, "_Where's Bree?_" Adaman paled significantly at that; that was a damn good question. A thousand thoughts came to his mind, all of them very bad. He was about to ask If Grace knew anything, considering who Bree was to her, when he heard a, "_Eytukan!_"

The leader's head snapped up as he watched Tsu'tey and Bree run towards them. The clan breathed a collective sigh of relief as they saw their best warrior was still alive, and not dead as they had feared. Neytiri looked at them both, coming to meet them halfway. Where had they been all night as the clan's private terror raged on? Did they not care? Were they really so selfish? And then it dawned on her as she took in their proximity to each other, Bree's messy hair… She looked at Tsu'tey, giving him a frown. "You mated with this woman?"

Grace's eyes widened, and she gave a sigh, putting her palm to her forehead. "Oh, shit…" she muttered. Well that explained where they were. Jake shivered at the thought of those two getting it on, but he secretly rejoiced in his mind. That meant Neytiri didn't have to be Tsu'tey's mate!

At the sound of her daughter's voice, and realising what she just said, Mo'at stepped forward. Her eyes shot daggers at the young girl that had wrapped Tsu'tey around her little finger. Well, like aunt, like niece. "Is this true?" she asked, looking at the Avatar. Bree tried to remain strong under her piercing gaze.

Tsu'tey stepped in for his new mate. "We are mated before Eywa." Grace cringed internally; Jake was still secretly praising Eywa in his mind; Neytiri's ears just went back. What was going to happen to the clan now? Bree couldn't lead – she didn't have any training – and yet only a mated pair could. The two of them had just thrown the whole clan off balance. Neytiri wasn't sad about losing Tsu'tey – it wasn't a loss to her. She was just fretting about what was going to happen now that he had mated with Bree.

Mo'at was the complete opposite to her daughter. With the rage from what Eytukan had done to her and now Tsu'tey to Neytiri – were all men full assholes? – she snarled at him. "Tsu'tey, if you do this, you will never be leader!"

Tsu'tey took Bree's hand, gripping it tightly, as if he was not letting her go. "I know," he told Mo'at firmly.

Mo'at snarled viciously, and the clan backed up slightly. They had never seen her like this. Let alone Eytukan – what was with the black eye he was sporting? The tsahìk turned to Bree, giving her a deathly glower. Grace frowned, jumping to her niece's defense. _"Mo'at, don't you dare."_

Mo'at whipped around and focused her growl on Grace, baring her canine like rows of teeth. Her eyes held something unknown, something dangerous within them. "You do not speak here!" she fumed at Grace. She turned to Eytukan then, her piercing gaze confronting his eyes. Those _eyes. _Mo'at was determined once this wretched day was over she'd never see them again. "_Eytukan! As leader of this clan I demand you say something!_"

All the clan's eyes turned to hear the leader's verdict. Adaman was even curious to see how he'd react to this. He'd been pretty quiet the whole time. Adaman wondered if that was a good or bad sign. Eytukan paused for a moment, thinking. The leader hesitated before looking at his soon-to-be ex-mate, speaking directly to her. "_It's his choice._" Tsu'tey smiled. Mo'at's eyes widened.

"_What has gotten into you?_" the tsahík frowned at her mate. She knew exactly what had gotten into him – that bitch who was standing right beside him. She could practically see her gloating, triumphant in her win of Eytukan's heart. Screw them – she could live well without them. Eytukan looked right back at Mo'at as she stared at him, but his eyes didn't acknowledge her. He didn't see her. It was as if she were dead to him. Well, so be it. Shrugging her clothing on to fit her shoulders more closely, Mo'at stalked off, right out of Hometree. The clan was confused. What had just happened? Mo'at just… left. That wasn't like her, though if they talked to Eytukan, he'd tell them otherwise. She actually was one of those people who just left, and didn't give any indication of when she'd be back.

Grace sighed, looking at Eytukan. "_Come on… We best start the day._" The day none of them actually wanted to greet, but they didn't have too much of a choice.

**· · ·**

Bree was awfully quiet as she was with Tsu'tey in his own quarters, lying on his hammock as he paced around the small space. It wasn't as big as Eytukan's quarters, but sizeable compared to how other families in the clan shared their hammocks with one another. All the elites seemed to get special treatment like this, and it did make her wonder if it was the clan that input that, or the leaders. It seemed like a trivial musing as everyone's world in the clan was rocked badly. They didn't seem to notice it – it was barely a tremor to them – but for the people involved, it was an entire earthquake.

She turned her head to see her mate pacing, and gave a sigh. "Please stop that."

Tsu'tey stopped his movements, and looked at his mate, turning his head to look at her in the hammock. "Sorry," he apologised, looking into Bree's worried eyes. He came over to her, kneeling on the floor so he could look level at her. He leant in to kiss her forehead. "We will be fine."

"Do you really believe that?" Bree questioned him.

"Well, I… I think we…" Tsu'tey could hear the hollowness in his argument before it was even verbalised. What the hell was he saying? Mo'at had gone, Eytukan was effectively mateless, Neytiri would be now… and that was his fault. Because of his rash manner, the clan was even more unstable than it should have been. Now the next generation of leaders would be just as screwed as the current ones. What had he done? He looked at Bree, and knew his answer. He had done what would make him happy, instead of the whole clan, something that he had been doing for a long time. It was a nice change, but at a terrible price. "We will be fine," Tsu'tey said confidently, earning a skeptical look from his mate. "… What am I saying? We are – as you say – 'screwed'."

Bree's ears went down slowly, and she sighed. "I'm sorry I caused trouble as well…"

"Oh, Bree." Tsu'tey sighed. "You did not do anything wrong." Seeing her saddened expression, Tsu'tey went to give her a hug, but she just stood up to get out of the hammock.

"Yes, I did," Bree said as she went towards the corner of the room, like a child who had been scolded for something they didn't mean to happen. "And you know it, too."

Tsu'tey looked at her, and then down at the floor, wondering how he could cheer her up. "It's not only your fault… I was the one who proposed, remember?" He was about to add something else when he heard a sickening thud. "Bree? Bree!" Tsu'tey looked up to find Bree, on the floor, not moving. Her eyes were closed, her body in an awkward position on the side. Tsu'tey rushed over to her, putting his ear to her chest. "You are breathing… thank Eywa." Tsu'tey's ears shot back as he tried to shake Bree awake gently. "Bree…? Bree?"

"Jake, _leave me alone._" Neytiri marched through the forest, ignoring the branches and trees that tried to scrape across her face as she walked. She didn't know where she was going. She didn't know what she was doing. All she did know is that if she spent another minute in Hometree, she would feel like she was suffocating. She couldn't spend another moment looking at her father or Grace, or even Tsu'tey and Bree, though she didn't care about those two, really. Well, she did – only the fact they went behind her back, really. She had made it perfectly clear she wanted to be alone. Unfortunately, Jake could sometimes be dense, and right now he was as he followed her.

Jake knew he was making a racket as he trekked through the forest, nothing compared to Neytiri's lithe footsteps. "Neytiri, just… hey! Stop!" Jake exclaimed, trying to get ahead of her fast walk. "Just listen to me!"

"Why should I?" Neytiri snarled, turning around to face him. "You should have told me this from the start!"

"So you wanted me to just waltz up to you one day and say, 'Hey, guess who your father is sticking it to?'"

The nine foot princess started towards Jake, who smartly backed off a bit, as she laid blow upon verbal blow on him. Her eyes condemned him deeply. "Thanks to my father and _Grace_, I am now losing my mother. You know? The woman who raised me?"

"Who raised you?" Jake scoffed, giving Neytiri a deep frown. "Hey, that's crazy and self-absorbed. That's a twofer! Way to go! Grace raised you too and don't you deny it! You even called her mother when you were little!" Taking a steadying breath, Jake continued at a calmer tone, "All right. They made a mistake. But Eytukan is your father. And I know you're hurting right now, but at least take some joy in the fact if you must, that he is back at Hometree hating himself for what he did to you. And no matter how much of a grudge you will try to hold, he is going to be the person you're going to turn to for years ahead, so you might as well just deal with him as best as you damn well can!"

Never had Neytiri heard such hostility from Jake. She was usually the one who got mad, not him. What had changed here? All arguments failed her, and she just blinked spastically, trying to process what happened, as well as come up with some snappy retort. None came to mind, and she just turned around, starting to walk off again. Finally, the comeback came to her, and she turned back to him. "Fine, then the next time you want to… Jake?" She found herself looking at the ferns, and she cast her eyes down to find Jake flat on the floor. Neytiri gave a gasp of shock, kneeling down to shake Jake. "Jake… Jake! Wake up! Please!"

Grace sighed as she sat with Eytukan in his room. Mo'at didn't seem to belong, let alone fit in that title anymore. She did wonder if she would come back, and if she did, would Eytukan take her back…? Would she take him back? And what then would become of Grace and him? She remembered he had asked her to stay with him, and she promised she would, but would it hold? Grace felt selfish, thinking only of herself right now, but she wondered if Eytukan was doing the same thing too. "_What are you thinking of?_"

For once, he wasn't looking at scriptures. Eytukan suddenly felt quite weary, and just gazed absentmindedly out the window. Grace's voice was like a buzz in his ears, which finally made sense as he focused. "_Hmm? Sorry?_"

Grace's ears went back. "_Never mind…_"

Eytukan dragged his eyes away from the window, and sighed as he looked at Grace, looking so dejected. "_Gracie, this isn't your fault_."

"_Sure feels like it._"

The leader moved from where he had been standing, coming over to his love and kissing her forehead. "_This isn't your fault… the inevitable was never your fault._" He wrapped his arms around her warm body, resting his head on her shoulder, trying to offer some comfort to her.

Grace snuggled in to him, closing her eyes. "_Still… I played a part. I'm the other woman. I'm so sorry… I never meant for all this to happen…_"

Eytukan felt Grace relax in his arms, and he smiled. "_Don't you remember who started this whole thing? I do. I remember taking you to that other clan for a few days, so you could get acquainted with Na'vi different to us in their politics._" Eytukan paused as he fondly remembered, gently scratching Grace's ears as he continued. "_To be honest, I did have an ulterior motive with that, and you caught on. But the point is, I initiated it all with that kiss… Remember?_" Grace was silent. "_Gracie?_" Eytukan frowned and pulled back to look at her, his eyes widening as she slumped off of him as he let her go. "_Grace!_" He was down beside her in moments, making sure she was breathing. He knew Avatars did this sometimes, but it was always terrifying. Because it meant someone else shut them off.

**· · ·**

Grace's eyes flickered open, finding herself looking at a gray ceiling. She frowned and looked down at her body. It was her human form. The ground she touched was cold metal, not the soft forest floor, or the softer wood of Eytukan's quarters. She looked around closely, and found herself on the kitchen floor of the shack. "What the hell is going on?" Grace snarled to no one in particular. She heard muffled cries come in reply, and she turned towards the source. What she saw made her heart rate speed up. Bree and Jake were on the floor, their hands tied behind their backs, gags in their mouths. "Jake! Bree!" Her own voice gave her a headache, and as she came more to, she felt this dull pounding sensation in her head, making her instinctively try to grab her hair. Her hands didn't move. She was tied just like her niece and her friend.

"So you finally came to, I see." A rough chuckle made Grace stiffen, her back hunching as she tried to subconsciously get as far away from that voice as possible. She heard the sound of metal drawing against the table as Miles came over, a thin, sadistic smile on his face. He held a knife in his hands, that looked like it was used to behead people in wars. He gestured to her head, where blood was starting to trickle down her cheek. "Sorry about that. But I figured you'd put up more of a fight than these two."

"Damn straight I will!" Grace snarled, trying to pull out of the plastic flexi-cuffs. It was no use – it was like trying to pull apart metal ones. "Boy, I'm going to murder you… I would just love to feel the force of my foot smashing your skull into your brain."

A shove came to Grace's shoulder after she spoke, the hard hand feeling like a brick had been slapped against her. She turned to see that marine Miles liked so much, Wainfleet. Jackass. "You want me to gag her?" he asked Miles.

"No," came the reply. His voice was silky and low, and Grace winced as she remembered he used to talk to her like that often when they were dating, or when he wanted something. "I'd like to hear what she has to say. Continue, Grace."

Grace swallowed, realising whatever she said would no good.

"No? Nothing to add, then? Well. Feel free if you change your mind. You're in a better state to do so than those two." He gestured to Bree and Jake, who were trying to bite away their gags. It was useless.

She felt a hatred rising up like bile did as she looked at Miles. "Let them go… What did they ever do to you?" she growled.

Miles arched an eyebrow and came over to Grace, wielding that terrifying knife. She stiffened as he brought the knife close to her face. "Ah, baby… Don't you see? Try and think of what purpose those two would serve me and RDA. And you."

Grace tried to piece this homicidal puzzle together, but after a few moments, she shook her head.

He appeared disappointed she didn't want to play his game. He turned to the two tied up, pointing to Jake first as if he were selecting which animal to slaughter. "Jake here has connections to Neytiri, who is the princess of the clan, correct?" Grace said nothing, but the confirmation on her face was obvious. "And Bree… Ah, Bree, thank you so much for making it so much easier to find Tsu'tey, the head warrior." Bree gave a ferocious, animalistic snarl at her ex-uncle.

Miles slowly turned his head to Grace, smiling a little. "I'm sure you now know what I'm using you for…" Grace swallowed as he stood up, looking down at her. "I never really liked the idea of you going with other people, but I must say, you being with the leader has really made my career that much easier. So, Grace, thank you."

Grace choked on her saliva as she understood all the clues. "You… You're leaving the clan defenseless… You're getting all the main Omaticayan heads out so you can blow up Hometree with no trouble."

"Ah, smart, smart, my Grace. I knew you'd piece it together." Miles patted her head gently, making it throb more before leaving. "Thanks for making my job easier, you lot. Especially you, Jake. You gave me pretty usable intel."

"W-what?" Grace asked, looking at Jake in shock. He hung his head, turning to look away from Grace. He knew what her face was like, and Bree's. Disappointed, distraught…

Miles was about to head out of the shack, leaving the trio under the watchful eye of Wainfleet, before Grace called out in a final plea, "You can't do this! Miles, please… You're murdering children, there are families in there. You're going to destroy _everything_!"

"Well," Miles shrugged, "You brought this on yourself. I gave you time – you chose to use it with… other methods." Wainfleet sniggered; Grace felt sick. "Enjoy your last few hours of life, 'Gracie'."


	22. You Couldn't Have Loved Me Better

**Chapter Twenty-Two | You Couldn't Have Loved Me Better**

"**Ugh!" Mo'at snarled. "Why don't you humans just die?"**

**Miles frowned at her, sizing the Na'vi up. She was quite small in stature. "Why don't you?" he growled, swiping a huge metal hand at her.**

**Past**

"_Eytukan… Please…"_

"_No, Grace. I don't want to hear…" _Eytukan interrupted_. "I want you to take your people's things and leave._"

Grace's ears flew back. Her topaz eyes were watery as she looked up at the leader; his strong stare caused her to look back down_. _ "_I tried to stop them… I did! But I'm just a scientist, I – "_

"_And they were just children! Clearly your kind is too different to us._" He had breathed in deeply to calm himself. It was as if they were alone in the world, the clan around them were merely blurred images. "_Any attempt to unite them is useless. We're too different._" 'Don't fight me,' Eytukan had prayed in his mind as he looked at Grace. He didn't want them to part in anger after all those years.

Grace had let her head go down, as if she were about to be killed, when a taunting voice came, "_You don't belong here… You killed our sons and daughters!_" Eytukan had looked over to see his second-in-command come onto the scene, hells fires blazing in his eyes. Ateyo frowned at the woman who had caused him so much strife over the years. Grace couldn't look at him, and she practically cowered to try and hide with Eytukan. He looked away.

"_It was an accident!_"

"_If you hadn't been here, Sylwanin, Eria and Takhul would have been alive! Do you deny it?"_

"_No…_"

"_Then you're guilty! Murderer!_"

Grace gave a quiet gasp that sounded like she was about to burst into tears. "_No I'm not a murderer! I didn't do anything…!_"

Eytukan frowned at the man who was making it just worse for Grace. There was no way to make it any better, but this could be avoided. "_Ateyo,_" he called him away. "_Stop._"

Tsu'tey's father gave Grace a deathly stare, before actually listening to Eytukan, heading back to stand with the elites that condemned her with their eyes. The Avatar gave out a breath of relief, before Ateyo turned around and placed a hard blow to her cheek, making her cry out. Beside Eytukan Adaman gave a snarl, but Eytukan got to the warrior first, pushing him away from Grace brutally. The warriors exchanged glances – their leader had never been hostile before, not like that. "_They leave! Unharmed! Unless you wish to serve yourself as a replacement._" Ateyo kept silent.

Grace touched her cheek, feeling like the bone had been bruised where Ateyo had struck her. She was shaking as Eytukan turned back to her. "_The traditions make no allowances._" Adaman's ears went back as he looked at Grace. "_Grace you give me no choice. You are exiled._"

The blood drained from Grace's face. Around her all the Na'vi had started cheering. She looked around for help. Adaman gave her a sympathetic look and turned away. Tsu'tey shot her a homicidal stare when she looked to him, and very obviously moved towards his father's side, making his point come through clear. Neytiri was too much in tears to even recognise her, and Mo'at… She was amongst the cheering crowd. If she knew everything, she would have been the one to hit Grace. In a final attempt to plead her innocence, Grace looked to her love. "_Eytukan, please…_" she whispered, making her voice drop so it was for his ears only. "_I love you…_"

It was the moment that would haunt Eytukan forever. What he did next he would never forgive himself for. He locked his jaw and turned away, refusing to answer. He looked to Adaman, who looked back. "_Burn her things,_" he told him plainly before walking away. Grace gave a cry of anguish, watching Eytukan leave – he had abandoned her. She had given him everything and after all that, he just left her.

Adaman looked at Grace. Seeing her so distressed, and Eytukan so heartless, he growled. "_No._"

Eytukan stiffened, and he turned back to his friend in shock. "_Adaman – "_

"_I'm not doing it,_" the healer had snarled viciously to Eytukan, moving to push past his old friend. "_You want it done, do it yourself._"

Eytukan blinked in shock at Adaman. The healer had to do it, so the fire would be pure, and the evil spirits would be chased away. Eytukan watched Adaman leave the scene, heading upstairs. Grace watched as her love walked away. "_Eytukan…_" she murmured as the warriors started to surround her, spears pointed at her. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and as she keened for him, his ears went down as he walked away. "_Eytukan…! Eytukan, please! Don't leave me here…! Eytukan!"_

**· · ·**

**Present Day**

"_Eytukan! Are you with us?"_ The leader was snapped out of his reverie, coming back to the present. "_Here_," Adaman said as he passed Eytukan a cloth. It smelt of a strong medicine, and it reminded him of when he was just starting out as a warrior and constantly got cuts and bruises; Adaman would always give him that. "_It will ease the swelling._" The two old friends, as well as Tsu'tey and Neytiri, sat in the royal's lounge, each of them lost in their own thoughts. They all tied to the same topic, though – the Avatars.

Eytukan took the cloth and placed it to his blackened eye. "_Thanks, but it's not me I'm worried about_."

"_Be worried about yourself before you do something rash,_" Adaman warned the trio.

Tsu'tey hadn't spoken in a while, and he slowly brought his eyes over to the healer from the wall he had been glaring at. "_Rashness comes in desperate times_," he growled softly.

Adaman's brow narrowed at the warrior. "_You keep that attitude when – if, now – you become leader and we're all fucked. I'm sorry, but it's true._" Tsu'tey scowled at Adaman deeply, the two having a battle of wills. For once, Adaman won, as the younger looked away. "_This is some serious crap you lot have stepped in_."

Eytukan took off the cloth on his eye to look at him. "_Oh, yes? You think so?_" he growled. "_I'd like to sit here and recount all the misdoings you ever did._"

Adaman exhaled audibly, and moved to sit beside Neytiri. She turned away from him. She was no longer angry, just hurt, and confused. How could this all happen? Eytukan and Grace obviously started it. They were the two people she looked up to the most, and then they betrayed her trust. Same with Tsu'tey, now. She didn't care that he was no longer her fiancé – they hadn't gotten along romantically ever, and they never would have – but it bothered her that he went behind her back. Everyone had. She realised being angry at Grace was futile. She was practically a mother to her, more than Mo'at had ever been. She loved her more than she cared to admit, and she wasn't too ashamed to say she wanted her back. This was all so confusing… Adaman gave his niece a glance before looking back to Eytukan. "_This is something different,_" he told them. "_Something much bigger than us. And we can't stop it. You can try, but you will fail._"

"_Thanks for the vote of confidence!_"

"_I'm trying to save your sorry asses!" _Adaman retorted harshly. "_You want to save the Avatars, I get it. I want to as well. They're family. But sometimes you need to put yourself first._" Eytukan sent Adaman a deadly glare before looking away, putting the cloth back to his eye. "_There's a storm coming. And you three, and the Avatars, are right in the middle of it._"

"_No kidding."_

The four turned to the new voice, dark and somewhat frustrated sounding. Neytiri's ears went back. "_Ma…_" she whispered. Mo'at was standing in the doorway, watching them as they planned their attack. Her expression was unreadable as she walked into the lounge. Eytukan was in awe as she came over to him, arms folded. Mo'at looked up at her mate, and sighed. "May we have the room, please?" she asked Adaman, Neytiri and Tsu'tey in English. Robotically they stood up, leaving the leaders in the lounge.

Eytukan's eyes were soft as Mo'at looked at him. She didn't look him in the eye, he noted – she never had once he became leader. Right now, he wished she would. "_What are you doing here?_" he asked her gently.

Swallowing, Mo'at breathed out. "_I know why you did it_," she told him. "_Why you… went to Grace._" Eytukan waited as she gathered her thoughts. "_It was because I told you to. I remember that. I know I hurt you in the past and, this was your way of getting me back. But I know that's not the entire reason._

"_At the time, I was really selfish. And stupid. I didn't love you… I know I caused you a lot of heartache… And I'm sorry._"

Eytukan's ears went down slowly, and he reached out to catch Mo'at's hand. "_I am sorry, too, Mo'at. For everything_." He sighed, looking at her regretfully. "_I guess we both really distorted things._"

"_Yes…_"

There was no need for him to say it. It was over between them now. He'd let her go, once Neytiri was ready to take over the clan. She'd live her life, and he'd live his, separate. Well, maybe not entirely. "_You know, no matter what happens, I want you to still consider the Omaticaya your home._"

Surprised, Mo'at finally looked up to him. Right into his eyes, which caused Eytukan to smile a little. "_Really?_" He nodded, and she smiled a little, too. "_Thank you._"

Eytukan breathed out. "_So... Why the sudden change of heart? Why did you come back?_"

Mo'at bit her lip, something Eytukan hadn't seen her do since they were children, back when they were so unsure of the world. Come to think of it, they still were. "_Well, I might be hurt, and mad… But I shouldn't let it cloud my judgment. We're fighting for the same thing. We might not really like each other, but for this, we should try to be civil, Eytukan. The humans are stronger than us all; we have to fight them, not one another. Right?_"

Eytukan brushed her hand with his thumb gently. "_Right_," he nodded. "_Thank you._" Mo'at gave him a small smile. "_Shall we call the others back?_" After Mo'at agreed, Eytukan pulled the other three back into the room. Neytiri smiled as she saw her parents on slightly more stable ground, but she knew it would crumble and crack the moment this was over.

"_Well,_" Mo'at began, and Eytukan stood back as she moved to take charge. "_A war is coming, we all know that. And we need to stop it. Now the Avatars are our best bet._"

"_No they're not,_" Adaman muttered. "_If they were our best bet, they'd be here. Right now, our best bet is an Eywa-damned miracle._"

Mo'at shot him a look, but he wasn't too far off the marker. "_We need to be careful. For all we know, this is a trap._"

"_Which it usually is._"

"_Would you shut up? Please?"_ Eytukan bit back a smile. Adaman and Mo'at bickering like that made him think of how they used to be when they were young teenagers. Mo'at brought him back to the present. "_All right. Now, here's the plan…_"

**· · ·**

They needed an escape plan, and fast. Unfortunately, the ideas Grace had were things that weren't really under her control, like the guards knocking themselves out or their cuffs not being on properly. This wasn't Hollywood, and that wasn't going happen. After practically six hours, their conditions hadn't changed. Their captors stayed vigilant even with Miles gone. Wainfleet had even called a couple of grunts over to help him. Jackass.

Jake couldn't look at Grace and Bree right now, and they couldn't look at him, or each other. All of them were lost in their own world, their own thoughts, each of them thinking it was their own fault they were in this predicament. He tried to look out the window, half wondering why Wainfleet hadn't covered them up. He got the answer as soon as he thought that – they were effectively in the middle of nowhere. No one would come for them as no one knew who they were. Well that was everyone except Norm, Max and Trudy, maybe their Na'vi friends. But Jake knew the clan was screwed if they came, and Eytukan wasn't that stupid. It would actually be nice if he was right now.

Grace's mouth was pretty dry. She tried to remember the last time she had had a drink, at least in this form. Maybe about twenty four hours. She scolded Jake all the time about not caring for his human body, but she was just as bad, worse when she first started as an Avatar driver. She was half tempted to try and ask for a drink of water, but it seemed their captors weren't actually that bad. One of the soldiers who had come at Wainfleet's request came over to Bree, who gave him a warning growl. He frowned at her and showed her the bottle of beer he had been carrying. "You don't want a drink, then?" Bree remained silent, and the soldier gently brushed her hair. Jake's face turned dark as he watched the man touch her. The soldier took off Bree's gag, which was a bad move as she watched him with an ice-cold stare. "Well, you're a beautiful one… I guess you get your looks from your aunt…" Bree felt him trail his fingers down her cheek, and in a quick retaliation, she whipped her head around and bit down hard, causing the man to give a gurgled scream. Grace snapped her head to her niece to see her pulling her teeth down the soldier's fingers, blood dripping onto the floor. "You little bitch!" the soldier snarled as he looked at his wounded fingers.

Bree licked the blood from her lips, and Jake would have given a sadistic laugh had he not been gagged. She had her own style, he had to give her that. "Let us out of here!" She strained at her bindings, and Wainfleet rolled his eyes as he went to the airlock door. Bree heard someone coming, and she called louder. "Let us out of here this – "

"Now why would I want to do that?" asked Miles as he stepped in through the door. He looked at Bree as she tried to wipe the blood on her sleeve. "Bite your lip, Brianne?"

"Go to hell, you twat!" Bree spat at Miles' feet as he came over to them.

"Ooh, temper, temper," he mocked, crouching down so he was eyelevel with her. "Now just why would I want to let you out of here?" Bree's rock hard stare made him chuckle. "My, my, if looks could kill." Getting bored of her, he turned back to Grace, who shrunk back, her face twisted into a grimace. Miles frowned back and clicked his fingers. Wainfleet came over to drop him a cloth, with which he grabbed Grace's head and wrapped it around her mouth. She yelped and tried to pull away as he gagged her.

Jake pulled at his restraints, completely frustrated. He didn't care as the plastic cut into his flesh. He made muffled sounds which sounded like, 'Grace! Grace!' Bree roared in a rage. "Where are you taking her?" she exclaimed as Miles picked her up bodily and started to walk away from them.

In that annoying, grating tone of his, he replied, "That's for me to know, and you to find out." Grace continued to struggle, until Miles came up against a wall, knocking her into it. She fell limp. "Sorry," he told her, not sounding apologetic at all as he grabbed masks for both of them before heading outside, ignoring Bree's screaming protests. "Wainfleet!" he called.

"Yessir!" the soldier called back, and Bree went silent.

**· · ·**

"_All right, Tsu'tey, you distract the guards while I slip in with Neytiri and get them,_" Mo'at instructed as they landed their ikrans. After flying for over an hour looking for the shack they were staying at, Neytiri had finally spotted it as it wasn't that well hidden. Metal stood out well amongst the Pandorian plants. Neytiri, Tsu'tey, Mo'at and Eytukan huddled in a small circle, concealed by the forest as they talked out their plan.

Tsu'tey nodded. "_Okay. But you're hinging this on the fact there's only one of them. They have guns – they'll kill us before we even load our arrows._ _What, you just want to run in there?_"

"_Actually, that is kind of the plan._"

"_We're going to die today, aren't we?_"

"_I'm not._ _And neither are you. We'll be fine._"

Neytiri thought, looking over to the shack from where they were hiding amongst the foliage. She tried to peer in through the glass, and she saw two standing figures. "_I see two, but there may be more._" She squinted, trying to crane her neck more to see them. Bree was there, and Jake, she thought. It had to be them. But something was missing. "… _Where's Grace?_"

Eytukan's ears flickered. "_What?_" he asked in concern, praying Neytiri was wrong. She was right. Grace was nowhere to be seen.

Tsu'tey gave a growl as he wracked his brains for a better plan than Mo'at's. She wasn't the best person to turn to when planning military strategy. He looked down at his arrows, tapping the tip of it. He looked back to the glass and then back to his weapon, a plan starting to coalesce in his mind. "_Humans can't breathe in our air, right?_" he asked, tapping his arrow gently to his chin.

"_Right._"

"_I have an idea_." Neytiri exchanged worried glances with her parents. "_Help me build a fire._"

Bree was staring blankly at the floor, and Jake was staring up at the ceiling. Both thought maybe if they kept staring at it, a plan would come to them. They really needed an escape plan, right now, before Miles came back. God, Bree hated him. She _hated _him. She hated the fact she used to run up and hug his legs since that was the only part she could reach at the time. She hated the fact that she used to rest on his shoulder to go to sleep. He needed to die, die, die!

Wainfleet looked bored as she looked over to him, but not enough to slack off. He stared down on the table while the other two just twiddled their thumbs, relaxed. There was nothing for them to fight. Wainfleet was about to stand up and put on another pot of coffee when he heard a thump on the roof. He sat back into his chair, listening. Bree looked up as well, trying to see through the metal. The sound stopped after a few moments, and Wainfleet brushed it off, scratching a spot under his nose as he went to get the coffee pot. The smash of the window came as a shock to everybody, a lit arrow running through it and hitting the opposite wall. Bree screamed as shards of glass came over them, and immediately felt the oxygen being pulled away from her lungs. Wainfleet and his soldiers gave a gasp, sirens going off as they ran towards where the masks were. Eytukan had ten seconds of surprise and he used them, flipping down from the top of the shack and into the broken window, kicking Wainfleet across the room to the other side. Neytiri jumped in behind him, coming to grapple with the guard beside him. She ran her claws through him, pulling up through him until he fell down into a pool of blood. Eytukan checked on the Avatars as they started to choke on the floor from the toxic air. A mask, they wore a mask when they were outside. Spying it on the wall, he quickly ran over to try and get them before hearing the click of a gun. "Don't move!" yelled a voice, and Eytukan turned to see the third man training the gun on him. He froze as the man came forward, until slender, blue hands grabbed the back of his head and flung him into the wall. The man went down, and Mo'at watched as he did. He looked up at her with a glazed over, shocked look, like he hadn't just realised what happened. That made two of them.

Tsu'tey's eyes went wide as he came to the window, seeing what Mo'at had just done. "_Holy shit…_" For once in his life, he was actually terrified of her as she watched the soldier, quaking violently. Maybe she should have been a warrior herself.

Eytukan snapped into action, grabbing the masks for the humans. He threw one to Tsu'tey to help Bree, while he got Jake. Tsu'tey slipped the mask over Bree's hair, making sure she could breathe properly once it was on. "Are you okay?"

Bree nodded, still coughing. Once she regained control of her breathing, she looked at Tsu'tey. "Damn, boy… What kind of crazy ass plan was that?"

"Well," Tsu'tey smiled at her, "I thought maybe that would work."

Bree frowned, blinking spastically. "'Maybe'? 'Maybe'? And what if it hadn't?"

Tsu'tey paused for a moment. He thought that through. "Huh," he said after a while. "Honestly? That thought hadn't really occurred to me."

Bree looked around her surroundings, as if trying to find the answer for Tsu'tey's sudden irrationality. She tried to realise how close she had come to death thanks to his ingenious plan. " 'That thought hadn't really – '… Oh my Eywa…"

Tsu'tey cut her loose, letting her collapse heavily into his arms. He sighed in relief and kissed the top of her head. Neytiri had to look away as he did. Bree was very tiny in this form, and he wasn't too used to it. He smiled a bit as he ran his finger through her hair. "Red hair…"

Bree smiled a bit. "Like it?"

"I think I prefer the black." She felt a little saddened, but Tsu'tey hugged her to let her know he was just teasing. He smiled and looked at her again, and frowned as he saw a mark on her cheek. He tried to touch it, but his finger hit glass. "How did you get that?" he asked.

Bree knew he was referring to the bruise that had risen since Wainfleet struck her. "Our captors just got a little rough." Tsu'tey sighed softly, but his attention was pulled away as Eytukan came to them, looking from Bree to Jake and back again. He fumbled through his English vocabulary. "Where Grace?" he asked them.

Tsu'tey's mate's smile disappeared, and she looked over to Jake. Eytukan could see the answer in their eyes. "We don't know… That's the truth, we don't know… Miles took her somewhere."

"When?" Tsu'tey asked, translating her answer while she thought.

"I dunno… maybe half an hour ago?"

Mo'at thought. Where could he have taken her? Back to Hell's Gate? Too much hassle, surely. Also, she had a good feeling not everyone knew of what this 'Miles' person had been doing. Humans weren't all that way inclined, were they? 'Na'vi, I get,' Mo'at thought to herself, 'But humans are just damn crazy.' Suddenly, the penny dropped. She looked to her mate – or soon-to-be ex-mate – and realised they had both realised it at the same time. "_The school_," they both said.

"That makes sense," Mo'at nodded, looking at Tsu'tey and her daughter. "He could get to it easily, no one goes there… They'd be alone…"

Neytiri's ears flew back. A half hour ago? She could be dead by now. Eytukan had the same thought as he got up, heading towards the window they had smashed. "_Da, he'll kill you!_"

Eytukan turned to his daughter, and sighed. "_I'll be careful_," he promised. "_Get Jake and Bree out of here, now!"_ Before Mo'at could protest, he was gone.

**· · ·**

Grace hated being powerless, and she hated going down without a fight, particularly if Miles was involved. He had tied her up and left her. Just left her, knowing she was no threat. He'd put her arms above her head, her feet just off the floor so she was stretched, and the rope was starting to dig into her flesh. Grace groaned as she tried to loosen her binds. Nope, not working. All right, bigger picture. Damn, Miles was smart. He'd moved all the desks and chairs completely to the side of the room, so there was no way she could clamber on top of one and bite through her bindings. She couldn't even swing herself over to one. She was squarely in the middle of the classroom, the blackboard behind her, the door in front, everything that could be used for escape to the sides. She wished she didn't have the upper body strength of a kitten; else she could have perhaps reached up and tried to bite through her binds. No such luck – she was stuck fast. Besides, even if she got out of her binds, where would she go? She knew this part of the forest well, but she was defenseless.

Her body felt like it was being stretched to the limit. She just hung her head, praying that this torture would be over soon. Honestly right now, she didn't care if she died. Maybe then Eytukan would be fine. He could live without her, she knew. He had already. She was really just about to give up. She'd had enough – what sort of a life was this? She relaxed in her binds, biting her lip, until she heard a rustle. She looked up, trying to look around her. "Who's there?" she asked, trying to sound confident, but on the inside she was a pile of jelly. She tried to move herself around to try and see what was going on. "Hello…?" She peered into the forest, tried to pinpoint whatever was around. A thanator? Oh God, she hoped not. She really didn't feel like becoming its fodder for the day – she'd be a very easy target. She heard footsteps, making her cringe. Slowly, she lifted her head, and gave a breath. "Oh thank God…"

"_Shh, shh_," Eytukan whispered as he came over to her, looking at her predicament. He looked at his claws and then moved close to her. "_Hold still._" He used the claws to try and cut through the binds.

Grace smiled as she nuzzled into Eytukan gently. "_I've never been so relieved to see you,_" she told him softly, looking over his shoulder. She went stiff. "_Eytukan, look out!_"

Eytukan whipped his head around, before seeing another human. But this one… he was so much taller than Grace. He was Eytukan's size. If the Na'vi knew it, he'd realise that it was because of the AMP suit the guy was in. "So you decided to drop in," Miles crooned as he tried to swipe at Eytukan's head. Eytukan ducked and rolled out of the way, snarling. He pulled his dagger out, looking at the human. He seemed… vaguely familiar. His eyes stayed on the human, not moving as he tried to figure out how to save Grace and himself. "My, my, if looks could kill." Eytukan snarled. He looked closer at the man. It was him… Older, definitely – he no longer had brown hair, but the telltale scars told Eytukan who he was. Miles confirmed it anyway. "I suppose I should repay you for this," he said, gesturing to the scars.

Grace frowned. "What?" she asked, looking at Eytukan. "You…" She looked at the claws on his hands, and back to Miles' scar. He had told her a wild animal did it, since it sure looked that way. But looking closer, and the claws… "That explains a lot."

"I guess your boyfriend and I go way back," Miles said. His voice was dark, no longer mocking. He swung a metal hand at Eytukan, knocking him back against the wall. He hit the desks with a sickening thud, coughing as he was winded. He leapt back to his feet, trying to ignore the creaking bones. He'd been out of it for a while, and this man had never stopped. He ducked as the man swung again, but it still hit him hard on the back of the head.

"Eytukan! Oh God…!" Grace yelped as Miles picked the Na'vi up as if he were swatting off a fly. He grabbed Eytukan by the queue, and Grace cringed as she heard her love yell in agony. Miles knew the Na'vi weakness – all those nerves in that plait was perfect for him. He lifted Eytukan off the ground, bringing him right near to him. He flipped his huge knife in the robot's hand, bringing it near his eye. Grace went numb, and she continued to struggle against her binds. Eytukan tried to pull his face away as the knife came dangerously close. Miles grit his teeth, a sadistic smile playing across his lips. "I suppose I should pay you back for my scars, what say you? Oh right… you don't understand what I'm saying."

"But I do!" Mo'at's snarl came through loud and clear as she jumped down from the roof and onto the AMP suit, causing Miles to drop Eytukan back to the floor.

Seizing Mo'at's distraction, he ran over to Grace, undoing her quickly. "_Run!_" he told her, pushing her out the door. She had to be out of the way, but Mo'at needed his attention right now as he ran back to her, not checking that Grace had left the school.

Mo'at was still on top of Miles, trying to wrestle him off. How hard were these things to kill? Thinking fast, she called to Eytukan, "_Knife!_" He threw her his dagger, which she caught in her hand and plunged into the glass of the machine. Humans couldn't breathe in this air. Mo'at slipped off, panting and bruised, but otherwise okay. Eytukan was impressed. She hadn't forgotten everything since they were children.

Mo'at was basking in her success of breaking the glass, until Miles flipped off the glass, causing it to hit the opposite wall, barely missing Eytukan. He held his breath as he reached for his oxygen mask, quickly putting it on. Oh for Eywa's sakes. "Ugh!" Mo'at snarled. "Why don't you humans just die?"

Miles frowned at her, sizing the Na'vi up. She was quite small in stature. "Why don't you?" he growled, swiping a huge metal hand at her. Mo'at was thrown onto her back, and Eytukan snarled in a rage as he tried to claw at the human. Miles kicked him away like he was nothing as he held Mo'at down. Eytukan hit the side of a bookcase, yelling in pain as it fell and trapped his arm. His eyes went wide as the human held the knife high, holding a squirming Mo'at down.

"_No!_" Eytukan yelled as Miles plunged his knife down. Mo'at screamed. Blood spattered against the walls of the school, coating the knife as the human pulled it out of her. He plunged it in, again, and again. Mo'at lay still, blood dripping out of her mouth, her eyes blank. Shock and horror consumed Eytukan as he looked at his mate's form. His soul felt like it would shrivel up. Mo'at… she couldn't be dead. He refused to believe it.

Grace felt faint as Miles moved around the dead tsahík. She didn't think – she acted. "Don't. Touch. Her." She didn't recognise her own voice.

Miles rolled his eyes and turned to her. "God, you are a woman – annoying."

Grace snarled. "Don't touch her!" she screamed, trying to get Miles to get away from Mo'at. She refused to believe she was dead. She couldn't comprehend it. Mo'at was invincible – she would spring up at any moment and come and save the day. But no. No, she just lay there, her life's blood spreading out onto the wood, dripping through the cracks.

Miles snarled and whipped around to grab Grace, hoisting her up by the scruff of her neck. He frowned at her. "Oh come on… you wanted her dead."

"Don't you say that…" Grace said, feeling tears coming to her eyes. "Don't you dare say that."

"Mmm, pity," Miles nodded, turning to see Eytukan snarling at him, trying to pull himself away from the bookcase. "You disappoint me, Eytukan… A man who can't save the ones he loves. What sort of a leader is that?" Before Eytukan could react, Miles plunged the knife into Grace's side, making her give a gurgled scream before dropping her to the floor.

Eytukan screamed in a rage as Grace fell, groaning in pain. She was alive, but barely. "_GRACE!_" he yelled, looking up to see Miles coming over to him. He grit his teeth, his tail flicking angrily as he tried a last attempt to pull away.

Miles frowned at the Na'vi, coming near to him. His knife raised again –

"HEY!" Both Eytukan and Miles turned to see the voice. Adaman was at the door, flanked by Tsu'tey, Bree, Jake and Neytiri. He raised his bow and arrow. "Assbutt!" He pulled back the string, the sound of a 'thwang' being heard. The arrow whistled through the air, aiming directly for Miles' chest. The huge, poisonous arrow went right through his body, causing him to back away from Eytukan as he started to lose his breath. His eyes went wide, and for extra measure, Adaman sent another fatal arrow right through him, causing him to back up further. Slowly, they watched the human go down, collapsing to the floor with an almighty thud.

Jake and Tsu'tey rushed over to lift the bookcase off of Eytukan. He rubbed his arm and ran over to Grace, falling to his knees beside her. "_Grace…"_ he whispered, taking her tiny hand in his and holding it. Neytiri and Bree moved beside her once Bree confirmed Mo'at was dead. Adaman's ears went down as he watched Grace inhale deeply.

Grace coughed and looked at Eytukan, her head moving to his knee. "_Eytukan…_" she managed, trying to stay awake.

Eytukan's ears went back, and tears came to his eyes. "_Grace…? Grace! No… Don't you dare die on me. Don't you die on me now!_" He held her desperately, trying to staunch the blood with his hands. Neytiri felt tears running down from her eyes as she watched Grace on the floor, her blood slowly dripping. "_Hey, hey… Come on, it's not even that bad,_" Eytukan smiled at her. "_We'll fix you up… Right?_" Grace breathed slowly, looking up at Eytukan with weak brown eyes. "_No, no, no… Gracie, no! I love you…_"

Those three words gave Grace just a little bit more strength, raising her head slightly. "_And I love you…_" she whispered to him.

Eytukan swallowed. She sounded so… final. Tears ran down his cheeks as he pulled Grace to him, cradling her tiny form. "_Grace...! Grace, please! Don't leave me here…! Grace!_"


	23. Walking into Eywa's Hands

**Merry Christmas Eve everybody! Hope you guys have a good time tomorrow! Enjoy this chapter, but it's not the last.**

**Chapter Twenty-Three | Walking into Eywa's Hands**

' **Eytukan sighed, moving in as if to kiss her. He rested his forehead against her human one for a brief moment before pulling away, coming in to take off her breathing mask. She had no need for it, now. '**

A florescent, coral colour streamed from the soft, hanging tendrils. The green forest floor beat in time with the rhythm of a drum, as the Omaticayans chanted a prayer to their deity. At the root of the Tree of Souls, a small body lay, tangled with the vines of the tree. Her red hair was sprayed around her, a soft, purple-ish hue tanning her skin. Her other body, larger in size and different in colour, lay near her, curled up in a fetal position. Her small, delicate human hand was grasped by a larger, four-fingered Na'vi one. Eytukan brushed his finger over Grace's pale hand, looking down at her body. His face contorted as he caught sight of the fresh wound on her otherwise perfect skin. Adaman had managed to staunch most of her bleeding, but was it enough.

"_Tìng mikyun ayoheru rutxe, ma nawma sa'nok_," Neytiri's voice came crystal clear over the chorus of Na'vi, all moving in time with the chanting, their queues connected to the base of the tree.

"_Srung si poeru ma Eywa_," came the reply. Eytukan squeezed Grace's hand tighter.

"_Pori tireati, munge mì nga..._"

As the voices came through strong, Neytiri stopped her chant. She swallowed, looking over to her father and Grace. Nothing was happening. Had she said something wrong? Was Eywa just deeming her too weak to try and bring someone back to life?

Eytukan came to sit right next to Grace, looking over at her two forms. "_Come on, Gracie…_" he prayed softly.

The clan looked up to try and see what was happening. Had it worked? Had their prayers been answered, or had Eywa decided that Grace's time had come? Bree's ears shot back as she looked at her aunt. "Aunt Grace?" she asked, her voice practically a whimper of a scolded kitten.

The grotto was dark except for the light on the willow and the floor. It shouldn't be taking this long… Eytukan's ears went down, swallowing hard as he looked down at her small hand in his. Jake exchanged glances with Neytiri, as if asking her silently why this hadn't worked. One look at Neytiri's face and he thought better; she was blaming herself. If she had only gotten Grace there faster…

Eytukan sighed, moving in as if to kiss her. He rested his forehead against her human one for a brief moment before pulling away, coming in to take off her breathing mask. She had no need for it, now. His heart was shattered, but he tried to stop himself from breaking down in front of everyone. Just as he was about to remove the strap from the mask, he saw the small tendrils on the floor that had wrapped around Grace's form shift. He blinked, before he made out a voice. Weak, but it was there. "_Eytukan?_"

Neytiri heard it too, and she looked down to Grace's forms. Her delicate, cyan hand twitched, and her eyelids fluttered, like a child pretending to be asleep and forgetting that was their giveaway. Her eyelids opened, revealing her liquid gold irises. Eytukan's ears perked, and a smile of utter relief came on his face. He moved over to her Avatar as she tried to sit up. She seemed completely confused. "_What… what happened?_" she asked.

Eytukan smiled, taking her hand. "_We moved you into this body – permanently._"

Grace tilted her head, and smiled a little. "_Really?_"

"_Really._" Eytukan paused for a moment, before brushing her cheek, as if pushing aside a strand of hair. "_Welcome home, Grace_."

Neytiri felt as if her heart had stopped, but then it just beat faster. She gave a gasp of shock and relief, before turning to the clan. "_Grace lives to run among us!_" she called out, and Na'vi all gave cheers of joy. It worked! Neytiri's plan had worked!

Grace was about to lean in to kiss Eytukan when Bree butted in, pulling her aunt to her breast like Grace used to. "Fucking hell, don't scare me like that again!" Bree sniffled, ignoring the fact she just swore in the presence of Eywa. Grace felt a wetness on her shoulder; Bree was crying.

Grace chuckled, leaning in to kiss Bree's hair softly. "Was it really that bad?"

"Humph, bad enough," Adaman said, as if scolding Grace, but when she looked at him he was smiling. "I had to use half my bandaging supply on you alone. Now you're alive, I suggest you pay me back."

Tsu'tey gave Adaman a sharp nudge in the ribs, making the healer gasp and wheeze. "You leave her alone - she just came back from the Eye of Eywa and returned. Give the woman a break."

Neytiri shook her head at the two of them, before looking over to Jake and Bree. She came over to them, smiling. "Well, who's up next?" she asked, meaning for them to become a permanent Na'vi.

Bree and Jake exchanged glances, before they both laughed. "Oh come on Neytiri – we don't need to do it right away!" Jake told her. "After all, we have forever."

A small smile played over Grace's lips as she thought about that. She looked over to Eytukan, really wanting to kiss him, but knowing that the clan was watching them, it wasn't the brightest idea. He had the same look in his eyes as he watched her. Nothing was going to break them apart now. "Yes," Grace confirmed as she looked at her love. "We have forever."

**· · ·**

"_Hey_."

The simple word still brought Eytukan to look up, and bring a smile to light his face. It was the voice that said it that made him smile. "_Hey yourself,_" he purred as Grace came over to him, coming to sit on his lap. He looked at her intently, as if she were a science experiment. When she tried to check if her hair was fine, he stopped her. "_Don't – you're perfect._" She smiled. "_I'm just… taking you in. Being thankful you're here with me._"

Grace gave a smile, rewarding him with a soft kiss on the lips. She gasped as he pulled her in for a deeper one, his tongue trailing along hers. She broke it off after a moment, looking at him shrewdly, licking her lips. "_Eywa, you'd think I had died and come back to life._"

"_I hate to break it to you, baby, but you kind of did._" Eytukan gave a sort of saddened smile as he ran his fingers through her hair. "_Grace, you… You have no idea how much you scared me. I really thought I was going to lose you._"

"_Mmm, you're not going to lose me,_" she promised, turning around and snuggling into her boyfriend as he kissed her forehead. "_Not for a very, very long time._"

Eytukan felt his heart melt as she said that, and he nuzzled into her neck. "_Good. I'm going to hold you to that._" A nagging thought at the back of his mind made him open his mouth, but then he shut it again. Was Grace ready to talk about her ordeal? He guessed he'd give it a try. "_What's the last thing you remember?_"

Silence engulfed Grace, making her lost in her own thoughts. Eytukan kicked himself mentally for asking too soon, until she said, "_I remember Miles holding me up by the scruff of my neck, a white, hot pain… And you were beside me then._" All the memories, memories Grace wanted to erase, suddenly flashed back to her. Miles… the knife… Mo'at… "_Oh, Eytu, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for Mo'at to get hurt._" Eytukan's ears drooped as he heard his late mate being mentioned. Less than twenty-four hours ago, she had been with him in the lounge, and they sorted out all their unstable ground. Things had looked promising. And then she had gone. She had left the world, she had left her family. It was all his fault. Grace leant over to kiss Eytukan's cheek. "_Don't blame yourself,_" she told him, reading his mind. "_She saved us all – she undoubtedly saved her family. I think that's a very noble act._"

Eytukan cleared his throat, and nodded in agreement. "_Yes, you're right._ _I just… can't believe she's gone. After all these years. Even though I didn't love her, she was still a part of me, you know? We fought all the time, we harboured resentment, but we still tolerated each other. I guess we both took for granted the other would always just be there. After knowing her for over forty years, it's hard to take in she's not coming back. Come to think of it, I really should organise her funeral… She deserves a proper one, the best we can give…_"

Grace could clearly see she'd touched a nerve. She took his hand, squeezing it softly. Eytukan brushed himself off, and turned back to Grace. He smiled; she did in return. "_So_," she began, looking at his gentle fingers. "_What will happen to the humans now?_"

"_Don't worry, Gracie – we'll take care of them_," he promised. "_Jake and Tsu'tey are._"

"_How?_"

"_They'll find a way… Once we reveal that there's a deadly virus going around that only affects their kind, they'll be running, and we have evidence._"

"_Again… how?_"

"_Oh, Neytiri and Bree got out the tattoo ink with Adaman and put black spots all over the two soldiers that were killed._" Eytukan gave her his signature smirk.

Grace burst out laughing. That was not the worst idea they'd ever had. "_A fake black plague… Yeah, that will have them running._" Her laughter was definitely infectious, and Eytukan found himself laughing along with her. But something about that sentence he said made her pause. "_Wait… you said two soldiers… what happened to the other? There were three._"

"_We didn't find a third person. Never fear,_" he told her as he saw her mouth turn down in discomfort, "_The forest will find him. We'll deal with him, or the nearest mothering thanator will._" He ran his fingers up and down her arm lithely, making her purr in content, losing all other train of thought. "_How do you like being a Na'vi full time now?_"

Grace stretched, admiring her cyan skin as she did. She smiled happily. "_Mmm… I like it very much. No longer turning back into a pumpkin – I get to be Cinderella all the time now._" Seeing Eytukan's confusion, she shook her head. "_Don't worry about it. But I am very, very happy. Thank you._"

Eytukan smiled and kissed her lips softly. He thought back to when he asked her about what she remembered, and realised she left a part out of it. "_Grace?_" He looked at her with a beautiful, soft expression in his eyes.

"_Yes?_"

"_I love you._"

Grace felt tears of happiness come to her eyes as Eytukan told her that. She had been waiting for years to hear him say it… Now he was. She turned over so she was straddling him better, moving to nuzzle into his neck so he didn't see tears welling in her eyes. "_I love you, too._" As he caressed her back with his hands, bringing her into closer contact with his body, she had to smile. Who would have known their affair would have turned out like this?

As if destroying the moment, Eytukan took her hand. "_Come on – we should get ready for the funeral._"

Grace half wanted to protest, but she knew that would be frowned upon, not to mention cruel. She nodded and got up from Eytukan, letting him follow. She gave a kiss to his cheek. "_Let's_."


	24. I Know What You Did Last Summer

**Happy New Year everyone! I'm back in my study in Australia, out of Thailand, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, two of them my old homes. So I wrote this on the plane coming back, about half of it anyway. And still my profile says I'm from Thailand… fun times. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Chapter Twenty-Four | I Know What You Did**

' **Ixchel turned to face the Tsan'ten family. "**_**I know we've all been grieving for Eytukan and Neytiri, during their long, and lonely virgil. So I'm sure you'll be as pleased as I was to know that Eytukan's virgil… won't be quite so lonely after all.**_**" Eytukan raised his head up in confusion.**

**Grace copied his movement. Oh, she didn't need this right now… "Oh, fuck…"'**

The bane of a woman's life is her closet, particularly a Na'vi woman. That's how Grace saw it. Eytukan had begged her to stop wearing her human clothing. "_It's not that I don't like it – you know perfectly well I find it very alluring, but just for today, wear something more… appropriate?_" This was the day they had all been dreading – Mo'at's funeral. No one wanted to believe it, but it had to be done. Unfortunately for Grace, that day was never going to happen unless she could not dress like a whore. All of the Na'vi clothing fitted tightly around her bust and butt, and it made her feel terribly self-concious. Eytukan had let her get into the spare clothing area with Bree, letting her be free to choose whatever she wanted – he promised to get her better clothing later on, but this was short notice.

Bree was stretched out on the floor, staring up at the ceiling when she heard her aunt come out from behind the screen, letting her see what she was wearing. "All right, what about this? Or maybe one bit of it?" Grace asked her niece. It was a bigger top and loin cloth duo, but it didn't really work. Nor would it be appropriate for Mo'at's funeral. Bree pursed her lips, angling her head this way and that to try and see if either would work. Grace sighed in exasperation. "You can say neither."

Bree exhaled. "Oh God, neither." She watched as Grace went back behind the screen to try something else. "Why are you even going to this? Isn't it going to be weird?"

"Well, yes and no," Grace confirmed as she took off her top away from Bree's view. "I mean, Mo'at was my friend at a point and at least after this painful day, Eytukan and I can – hopefully – be a non-adulterous, happy couple." She came out, wearing something that made her look like a prostitute; Bree's eyes went wide. "No, then?"

"It's pretty sexy… Is sexy what you're going for at the wife of your boyfriend's funeral?"

Grace groaned and shook her head. "At this rate, I'm going to have to go against Eytukan's wishes and wear my own clothes. Oh Lord it's actually a pain having such large breasts."

"I'm sure Eytukan doesn't find it a pain."

"Oh, shut up," she laughed, sending Bree into a fit of giggles as she got up. She thought as she looked over the clothing. She could always wear the clothing designed for some slightly colder periods of time. It was still light, but it covered her body down to the knees. She reached into the pile and grabbed one, going back to change. As she came out, she felt more comfortable; her dignity would be spared. "All right, this? What does this say?"

Bree scanned her from top to bottom, and nodded approvingly. "Modest, reserved and definitely not doing the dead lady's ex-mate."

Grace smiled. "Sold."

**· · ·**

This day would be memorable for all the wrong reasons. Eytukan was particularly stiff, going through the formalities as everyone came to give him their sympathies. Adaman stood beside him, the ever faithful best friend, showing everyone where they could sit. Whenever a tsahík died, it was a huge undertaking, with prayers to be said to ensure a safe journey for her to the afterlife, before burying her. Eytukan's ears went back as he thought about that. It would be the last time he ever laid eyes on Mo'at again.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as he looked up to see who he had to greet next. A smile came to his lips as he spotted who it was in the dress. Even in Na'vi clothing, she still looked beautiful, if not more. "_I see you_," he said to her politely.

Grace gave a respectful nod of her head, since they were in other company. "_I see you_," came the reply, her eyes looking up to the leader. He was the leader here – not her boyfriend, nothing remotely close to her. Bearing that in mind, she dropped her voice to ask, "_How are you holding up?_"

"_Better now you're here,_" he told her, replying equally as softly. Grace blushed slightly, hoping no one saw her skin going a deeper blue in colour. She moved away when Eytukan leant in to kiss her.

"_We can't do that here,_" she whispered under her breath. Her eyes were wide with shock.

"_Darling, I've kissed over a hundred lips today – it would look more conspicuous if I didn't_."

Grace hesitated, and then tilted her cheek for him to kiss. Eytukan's lips had barely grazed her skin when she pulled away. "_Okay, that's enough_," she smiled, pulling away to go and sit in the back.

Adaman arched an eyebrow when she did. She had every right to be at the front. Was it really that awkward? The answer came clear to his face – yes it was.

Grace moved to the back of the area, sitting down neatly with her elegant legs crossed. Bree threw her head back to see her aunt, and beckoned her to come to the front with them; she just shook her head and focused on Neytiri, who was getting ready to say prayers before the clan buried Mo'at. Eytukan had asked her to stay beside him as it happened, but Grace had refused, much to his disappointment. Suddenly Grace had started to follow morals, and she had thrown them to the wind when they were still in the clear.

"_Oh, Eytukan, I am so, so sorry for your loss._" The drone of a woman's voice caught Grace's ear, and she slowly turned to see who was addressing her boyfriend. The sound was sultry, and it caused her to become rigid. She often used that sort of voice with Eytukan when she wanted something – sex.

Eytukan had been conversing with Adaman quietly before the next Na'vi was to be greeted, when he caught the female's voice. A smile flickered over his weathered face, and he took her hand that she let out to him. "_Hello, Ixchel_," he acknowledged. Grace gave a bit of a frown, particularly as Eytukan took the woman's hand. Tilting her head down and ever so slightly over her shoulder, trying not to make it obvious she was watching the duo.

Ixchel's mouth quirked up in a smile which Grace didn't like. "_So you do remember me, even after all this time?_"

"_You're hard to forget_." Oh really, now?

"_You're very kind._" Daringly, Ixchel placed a four-fingered hand on the leader's strong arm, her eyes looking into his. Grace was shocked; why wasn't Eytukan brushing her off, or making her look down from him? Most members were too afraid to look him in the eye – apparently, whoever this woman was, she wasn't. A smirk danced on her features. "_You know, Mo'at used to joke with me. She would tell me, 'Ixchel, if I die, I want you to marry Eytukan. You're strict! – maybe you can finally get him to clean up his scriptures.'" _Oh for God sakes.

"That bitch," Grace muttered under her breath, causing several shocked Na'vi to spin around and stare at her. She mumbled an apology before listening in on Ixchel and Eytukan again, but she had already said goodbye to the leader, and headed down to sit. Grace's eyes sent knives into her back as she came forward. Calmly, she slowly stuck her leg out, making Ixchel have an ungainly trip. She stiffened, and turned back to Grace, who put on a soft, innocent look. "_Wow, watch your step_," she told the female, who growled before moving to sit in front of her, beside another female.

The female gave Ixchel a smile. "_Nice to see you here_. _I saw you talking to Eytukan before._"

Pride radiated off her in waves, and Grace stifled a vicious snarl. "_You're terrible, spying on people!_" Ixchel smiled, casting her sun-kissed eyes over to Eytukan, who was walking to the front with Adaman. "_The poor man… He must be a wreck. Even when he's in mourning, he's still so… stoic._" Grace really wanted to reach over and slap Ixchel, but held it in by biting the inside of her mouth until it bled. She wished she had ear-lids right now. She tried to focus on the other members of the clan instead of the drama unfolding before her, but her gaze kept drifting more and more to the two women and their dreadful conversation.

"_Nothing you can't fix._" The female eyed Ixchel up and down, before stating, "_Let me guess – you'll be the one offering him a shoulder to cry on._"

"_I clearly need new friends! You know me too well…_"

Something inside Grace snapped. Jealousy, when received from her, was never a pretty thing, and Eytukan was _hers_. Swallowing as much of her anger as she could, she leaned forward to the two women, coming between them. "_I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. I'm sad to say I know from a very reliable source the leader is already involved with someone._" Now she was satisfied. Trying not to let a triumphant smirk come to her, Grace leaned back, letting that comment fester in Ixchel's mind – it ought to keep her quiet.

Ixchel and the other female shot each other a glance, suddenly both becoming tense. After a moment, Ixchel brushed it off. "_Who?_" she asked Grace in a terribly degrading tone.

"… _I'm not at liberty to say._"

Rolling her eyes, Ixchel gave a hand signal as if waving Grace off, turning back to the front. "_Silly Avatar,_" she threw the comment over her shoulder, making Grace growl, "_She doesn't know what she's saying._ _As far as I'm concerned, Eytukan is free meat._ _He needs a strong tsahík now, anyway – who better than me?_"

Grace was about to explode. That little… As the two women sat in new satisfaction that had been torn from her, she leant forward and growled under her breath, "_Okay, it's me!_"

She was terribly pleased to see Ixchel looking like she had just been lashed. "_What?_"

"_I'm the someone. He's my meat. Back off!_" The threat came through clear, and Ixchel turned away, clearly miffed, but at least Grace could relax now. She leaned back from the duo, focusing on the front once more.

Everyone could see how drained Neytiri was as she said the prayers, and how she was trying to hold it in. Eytukan's pain came mainly from watching her there, hating to have to put her through this. Looking over at his best friend, Adaman clasped a hand on his shoulder, not even imagining how hard this must be. Mo'at had been his companion, his lover for years until Grace took over, and even though it had always been on the unstable side, Eytukan must have been a little lost without her.

Neytiri swallowed as she looked at her mother's body, curled up in a fetal position, at the base of a root of the tree. She'd be back to the earth now. Pulling herself together, the princess looked to the clan and said, "_If anyone has any kind memories of Mo'at, please speak them now._"

Adaman looked at Eytukan – he would have many. Eytukan shook his head at Adaman. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he couldn't. Adaman saw that he was swallowing back tears, and he pulled his friend into a quick hug, which Eytukan returned. Bree looked at Tsu'tey, wondering if he would, since he knew Mo'at well too – nothing. Seeing her family weren't going to, Neytiri turned to the rest of the clan, and a soft, "_I do,_" came through.

A chill ran down Grace's spine as she watched Ixchel rise up from her seat, moving between the Omaticayans to come to the front. Neytiri stepped away for her to take the stand, moving back to sit beside her father so Ixchel was right beside Mo'at's body. She turned to smile at the audience. "_Hello. I'm Ixchel Ranec. If you're old like me, you'll remember I was once the tsahík's second-in-command._" Typical of a woman like her – somehow she had just started to make it all about herself. Grace scoffed.

Beside her, Bree felt Tsu'tey stiffen. She looked to her beloved, touching his hand. She saw his knuckles turn white as he clenched his fist hard, his jaw locked, his eyes trained on who was at the front. "Baby, are you okay?" she whispered softly. Tsu'tey made no reply as his eyes bore into the woman. "Who is she?"

Tsu'tey looked away from Ixchel. Adaman turned away from Eytukan to answer Bree's question, seeing a million questions in her eyes. "She's your mother-in-law," he told her. Bree paled. All her questions dissipated.

Ixchel looked at Mo'at's form, and sighed wistfully. "_I was very close to Mo'at many years ago. If she were here today, she would have made me sing our pledge song from when we were youngsters._" Giving a smile, she continued, "_But, I think there has already been enough grief for one day._" There was some laughter in the audience, and a small quirk of a smile from Eytukan. Tsu'tey, Bree and Grace were now far too on edge to join in with the cacophony of amusement. Ixchel turned to face the Tsan'ten family. "_I know we've all been grieving for Eytukan and Neytiri, during their long, and lonely virgil. So I'm sure you'll be as pleased as I was to know that Eytukan's virgil… won't be quite so lonely after all._" Eytukan raised his head up in confusion.

Grace copied his movement. Oh, she didn't need this right now… "Oh, fuck…"

"_No,_" Ixchel continued, as murmurs of confusion went around the clan. "_He found a strong, confident, compassionate woman, to share this burden with him._" Adaman nearly died. Jake looked at Neytiri, who was sitting as if she had a knife pressed to her back. Eytukan clenched his jaw, turning slowly to see Grace at the back. She cringed, giving him a small shrug. "_Now, some of us might find her presence here today, rather inappropriate. But, I think she's a hero._"

Grace needed to escape – now. Making a little moue of embarrassment, she stealthily tried to rise up from her seat, wondering how to get out. Several Na'vi had come to sit beside her, meaning she had to creep over them to get out. She tried to keep her head bowed, so as to not distract the people in front. So close to freedom as she reached the end of the row, until her foot trod on someone's tail, making them hiss. Ixchel looked over to where she had been sitting, and gave a wide smile, as if all her Christmases and birthdays had come at once. "_Oh, I was going to ask her to stand, but I can see she has already done so._" Tsu'tey put his palm to his forehead as everyone turned around to look at Grace, awkwardly standing up. She stuck out like hay in a haystack, and her heart just sank to the floor as she realised what Ixchel had just done. In a final bitchy move, Ixchel waved. "_Grace, say hello._"

She was really in no position to argue as all the hunters, women, children and elites looked at her. A heavy silence fell over the room, so quiet that Grace could have sworn she could have heard a pin drop. She forced a smile, and waved. "_Hello, everyone…_" she murmured, before sitting back down to cover her face.

**· · ·**

Grace had been the first to leave the ceremony, not even staying to watch as the clan officially buried Mo'at. She couldn't, not after what had just happened. Eytukan wanted to go after her, but Adaman stopped him, reminding him of what he had to tend to first. The moment he bade Mo'at goodbye, he went over Hometree, trying to find Grace. She could really hide if she wanted to, and right now she did. "_Grace?_" he called, in a last ditch effort as he looked around the medical centre. His heart sank as he saw her in the corner, huddled up. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried to hide behind Adaman's tables. "_Oh, Gracie, there you are… I've been looking everywhere for you._" Grace gave nothing but a sniff. Eytukan came over to her, crouching down to his knees to look at her. He sent a small smile her way. "_Hey, it's okay…_"

She looked up at him, her eyes red from crying. "_I'm s-so sorry I ruined Mo'at's funeral…_" she murmured.

Eytukan's ears went back, and he shook his head. "_No, you didn't._"

"_Yes I did…!_" Grace exclaimed, sending her into a fresh bout of sobs as she put her head in her hands. "_It's just…_"

"_What?_"

Trying to pull herself together, she looked back up to Eytukan. "_I just thought… after we got through this really painful day, I could… become more a part of your world. No more hiding… But now everyone's just going to think of me as the whore who ruined everything…_" She shook her head, coughing slightly. "_Ugh, I'm a mess… All right, look. You shouldn't be here… You should be with the clan, you know? So you can… say your final goodbyes._" Casting her eyes around the dark room, Grace gave a shaky breath. "_I'm just going to… hang out with Adaman's medical instruments until everyone goes to bed._"

Eytukan's eyes were soft as he took in the woman he loved, and how broken up about this she was. He looked away from her for a moment, thinking, before grabbing her hand suddenly. "_No. No more hiding,_" he told her, bringing a shocked Grace to her feet. He brushed his delicate fingers over her face, wiping her tears away and making her feel like a child. "_You mean far too much to me for that. I love you, Grace. More than anyone else. I love you, I want to marry you, I – _"

Grace felt her heart catch in her chest. She looked at Eytukan, interrupting him. "_Eytukan… Are you… are you proposing to me?_"

It was as if Eytukan hadn't realised the words that had come out of his mouth. He seemed taken aback by how his thoughts came out. "_Well, I…_" He smiled at Grace, looking down into the eyes he loved so much. "_I guess I am._"

Her eyes went wide, and she placed a finger to his lips. "_Whoa, whoa…!_" She gave him a tiny smile, but also a look uneasiness. "_Uh… before you continue? Just do me a favour and take a look around._"

Eytukan arched an eye ridge and did as she said, before catching on. Maybe the most romantic spot wasn't in a place with knives and prodding instruments. "_Oh._"

"_You know… of all the times I pictured this moment, the table we were at didn't have a blood gutter._" Grace gave Eytukan a smile, and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in for a loving kiss. Both felt a sense of homecoming as their lips met, before Eytukan pulled away after and rested his forehead against hers. Grace placed her hand on his cheek, feeling his tail entwine around hers as they looked into one another's eyes. There was no doubt about it – she was home.

**· · ·**

As Jake walked the area around Hometree the next week, he watched the families that resided within it; a father that was teaching his young son to carve items, a mother who was braiding her daughter's hair, and a happily expecting family. A small smile played over his lips. It seemed that life would go on, even though everything had been through a whole lot of upheaval. Mo'at would be deeply missed, and never forgotten, but at least her passing brought about a whole new turn on things.

His ears flicked as he heard some sounds of a struggle, and he frowned as saw two warriors holding down a human. He arched an eyebrow and came over, knowing he'd understand the man the most. He couldn't help but smile a little smugly as he realised who it was. So they had found him.

Wainfleet struggled against the strength of the Na'vi warriors, their hands so firmly on him Jake wondered if his bones would break. Pity. Seeing the Avatar coming over, Wainfleet breathed in relief. "Oh thank God… Jake! Hey, old buddy…! Pal…" Giving Jake a cheesy, pathetic smile, the soldier begged, "Could you give me a hand and tell your Na'vi friends to let me go? Please? For old times' sake?"

Jake placed his hands on his knees, leaning down to stare at the soldier. "Old times' sake, hmm?" Jake repeated, seeing the fear in Wainfleet's eyes. That's what he wanted to see. "I don't know… You abused my sister, and tried to get us killed… Ooh, tough choice there."

Wainfleet significantly paled as Jake gave a signal for the warriors to lead the soldier away. He tried to strain against them, his boots digging into the muddy soil. "Jake, I'm begging you…! Okay, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Just please, d-d-don't you k-kill me!"

Wow, this guy was pathetic. "Oh, I'm not going to kill you," Jake promised.

Wainfleet perked up. "Really?"

Jake nodded. "You have my word," he said, looking over his shoulder to see someone passing. He clapped his shoulder on the male's, pulling him over. "But, my good friend Tsu'tey – who, by the way, is Bree's husband… well, he should have fun with you."

Tsu'tey looked at Jake, and smirked, turning down to the cowering, bald-headed human. He cracked his knuckles. "And we're going to have a lot of fun…"

Wainfleet's legs gave way as he started to faint. Jake put his hand up to high-five Tsu'tey, hitting his hand with a satisfying slap as he walked away from them. His eyes caught sight of the one person who was distressed the most over the death of the tsahík. Straightening his posture, Jake strode over to Neytiri, proud to be wearing a new set of feathers around his shoulders. At least he didn't have to do the Mohawk thing. Yet. "Hey, Ney Ney," he smiled softly at her.

The young princess turned to see her student. Well, not her student anymore. She smiled as she looked at the new head warrior – Tsu'tey had been promoted to second-in-command. "Hello, sire_,_" she gently teased, nudging his knee with her foot to make sure he knew she was kidding. "How are you?"

Jake chuckled, patting the feathers. "Itchy… will it go?"

"Of course. You will get used to it."

Jake asked if he could sit beside her, and Neytiri moved over on the log, letting him. He seemed to struggle for words as he looked at her. Finally, all he could manage was, "I'm sorry. About everything."

Those obviously must have been the wrong words, for Neytiri's playful smile disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place. She took on this dark, sorrowful look that Jake realised he saw a lot when they first met. Thankfully, she broke the agonising silence. "It's okay… I wish it hadn't happened in such a way, but, I guess it could have been a lot worse." She forced a smile for him. "Losing one's mother is always fraught, but I am glad I still have my friends…" She reached out to take his hand, squeezing it.

'This is your chance,' a voice told Jake. Swallowing his fear, Jake smiled at her, looking intently into her eyes. "Hey, um… What do you say maybe taking a walk after dinner? You know, by the river…? We could talk or… something." 'Nice going, idjit.'

Neytiri hesitated, breathing out slowly and looking away from him. "Oh, um…"

Jake bent his head down a bit to continue looking at her face. "What? You have some prior engagement?"

"Well, actually…" Neytiri didn't have to answer as a tall, good-looking male came over to them. His bearing was cocky in a way Jake didn't like, and his tail flicked mischievously. Where had he seen him before… the answer came to him quickly – at the hunting festival, Neytiri had danced with him. Jake gritted his teeth.

"Ready to go, Neytiri?" the male asked her softly, a flawless smile coming over him.

Neytiri just ate that smile up. She let go of Jake's hand, standing up with the male. Jake's eyes narrowed. "Sure, Tsyal," she smiled, letting the new guy take the hand that he had just been holding. She looked at her friend apologetically, but he had to wonder if she was apologising for what he thought, or something else. "Uh… maybe some other time?" She gave him a small smile before going off with Tsyal, practically skipping into the sunset with him.

Jake looked away, feeling his heart had just been shattered. He prayed no one had just seen that exchange, but someone had. "I saw that," Grace whispered, coming over to the new head warrior.

Oh God. He really didn't want pity from Grace. "Yeah… well, it was worth a shot," he sighed, standing up.

Grace scoffed, watching Tsyal. "Jake, calm down. You're an alpha – he's nothing."

"Your point?"

"Neytiri's no fool. Besides, 'Tsyal'… it sounds like the noise a plunger makes." Jake quirked a smile; Grace had an uncanny way to cheer him up. "I give them a week, tops. Oh, hon, you look so dejected… Come 'ere – hug?"

Jake shrugged, coming to hug her. She patted his back comfortingly. "You remind me of my mum," he told her, before leaning in and whispering, "And that's not a compliment."

Grace snarled and elbowed Jake, letting him go. She hopped up to ruffle his hair. "C'mon, troublemaker… Let's get out of this contaminated area, hmm?"

Neytiri held hands with Tsyal as she walked with him, heading towards the river. She looked over her shoulder to see two lone figures, standing together, but too far apart. "Just give me one moment?" She smiled sweetly at Tsyal, letting his hand go as she jogged over to Bree and Tsu'tey, the two lost people. She grabbed Tsu'tey's hand, and pulled him over to Bree before grabbing hers. She smiled and placed the two together, looking at them both happily as their fingers melded before leaving.

Bree looked down at her hand, clasped with her mate's. She blushed a bit, looking up at him. "You're… not mad, are you?" she asked softly.

Tsu'tey was surprised. "For what, Bree?"

"Well… I almost got you killed for one," Bree told him. "And you haven't spoken to me since… you know. So I thought you were mad."

"Bree, look at me." His voice was soothing, tender – it made her heart skip a beat. He placed his fingers under her chin, giving her a smile. "I wasn't mad… And I'm sorry for ignoring you; it wasn't intentional."

The female's ears flicked, and she gave a small smile too. "So, you're not mad?"

Tsu'tey laughed and shook his head, pulling her in for a hug. "Of course not… I could never get mad at you, _beautiful_." Bree smiled and purred, moving up to kiss his jawline softly. "But you know… this is insane. I do not even like redheads…" His mate gave a chuckle, happy in his happiness.

Grace groaned as she passed Tsu'tey and Bree. "Eugh. Lovebirds," she said, loud enough for them to hear as she and Jake walked by. She walked up to where Eytukan and Adaman were sitting, just at the mouth of Hometree. Adaman was scratching in the dirt, and Eytukan was watching him. Jake peered over at the drawing, and realised they were plotting strategy. Grace noticed it, too. "_Eywa, you men – you never stop playing war games._"

Adaman gave a huff, standing up and brushing himself off. Eytukan did the same. "_It's not a game! We were just planning how to increase our territory protection. No harm in that, is there, dear?_"

"_Only if you two are the only ones inside when the others are out. It's a glorious day, live a little!"_ Grace laughed, coming over to stand with the two men. Eytukan gave his fiancée a warm smile.

Jake shrugged. "_It's a nice day. But I'm going inside._" He didn't give a reason, since he didn't know how to in Na'vi fluently. The others let him go without any questions.  
Adaman stood between Grace and Eytukan, watching them look at one another. Oh dear. He slowly backed out, looking for a reason for his escape. His eyebrow quirked as he spotted a beautiful young female, new to the clan and one who he hadn't had the chance to introduce himself to. Giving a sideways glance to Eytukan, he headed off in her direction. Grace caught him saying, "Someone call heaven, since I think they're missing an angel." The girl gave a demure smile and walked with him.

She couldn't help but give a roll of her eyes. "_He's never changed, has he?_"

Eytukan shook his head. "_Not since he was seven, trust me._ _He's like a loin cloth – if you're not careful, he will creep into your crotch._"

That did it. Grace burst out laughing, attracting the attention of few close members of the clan. She looked at them apologetically, before turning back to Eytukan. She looked away quickly after, focusing on the horizon. She couldn't do anything – after the disastrous announcement of their affair, she tried to tell him to keep it low key, even though the whole clan knew she would be their new religious leader for a while to come. Following his fiancée's orders, Eytukan placed a hand on the small of her back, unseen by the others. She stiffened as he went lower, and she growled softly. "_Eytukan…_"

"_What?_"

Grace smirked and nudged him, before pulling away. "_Paws off the merchandise," _she teased, looking back at him and winking as she walked off.

THE END

**And that's it everyone! I hope you enjoyed the story. By the way, since decided to hate me, I have uploaded some deleted scenes and trivia of this story here, and put the link on my profile, if you're interested.**

**I shall see you in the sequel! Love, Timber.**


End file.
